


Androgynous Lover

by Watermelonsmellinfellon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, Eventual Relationships, Groping, Horcruxes, Humor, M/M, Male Slash, Mild Language, Non-Canon Relationship, Romance, Soul Magic, Underage Kissing, and a few other things, no sex until reasonable age though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-22 23:18:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 69,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2525384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Watermelonsmellinfellon/pseuds/Watermelonsmellinfellon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hadrian is an androgynous boy who meets a special 'snake' in the zoo on his cousin's eleventh birthday. This 'snake' will help him through his journey into the magical world. Hadrian will learn to use his looks to sway the masses and to use his cunning to get what he wants. Imagine his shock to find out that his new 'snake' is actually a person! A/N: Harry/Tom SLASH. Warning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Quick beginning. Harry is not a girl.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry meets a special snake while at the zoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on July 29th 2016. Fixed what I could see. The Parseltongue was fixed for this chapter at least.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on May 12th 2017. Added some more detail.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter. Quotes from the movie aren't mine.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR.[HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON](http://helly-watermelonsmellinfellon.tumblr.com/). I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter was nearly eleven years old and he liked to think of himself as a pretty smart child, despite what his relatives did to try to make sure he wouldn't get a proper education. Despite their excuses and lies to the teachers and such, Harry knew deep down that he was smart and that his cousin Dudley, wasn't. And that was something he could at least pride himself over.

Harry was an orphan, whose parents had died in a car crash ten years prior. He was then dumped on his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, from what they had told him, and no such by your leave. Ever since his fourth birthday, he was like Cinderella for the Dursleys. And most of the time he could pass for a girl which was a problem most of the time.

His relatives were so stingy when purchasing him clothing, his aunt actually bought him ragged dresses from the local Charity Shop.  _Dresses_ , not trousers and jumpers like other boys. Instead of paying extra for three jumpers and three pairs of trousers, she settled on three heinously drab, grey dresses and three pairs of undergarments. He had one pair of black plimsolls that went easily with every dress and one pair of stockings which were stained and tattered in the knee area from continued wear.

They told everyone that he was home-schooled when his first few years in a real school didn't go well and he had to be pulled form the system. 'Freaky' things kept happening around him. Instead, he was 'home-schooled' and then had to go in for a test every few months. He always passed perfectly, which was why the police had yet to come to the house and demand he return to a real school. However, he passed on his own merit and _not_ because his aunt ever actually  _helped_ him with anything. God forbid the woman do her job as his guardian.

She wouldn't help him even if her precious Dudders was in danger, and that was pathetic.

Harry was forced to grow his hair long after she decided he would be a girl, because 'good and proper young ladies had long hair'. Not the rat nest she had once described it to be.

Since he didn't go to the school anymore, the neighbors thought he was a problem child. He was a 'stubborn little chit' and needed a good caning to keep him in line, according to his uncle.

The long hair bit wasn't so hard if the truth must be told, since his hair had always grown fast. Every time Petunia cut it, it would grow back twice as long by the next morning. So when she shaved his head bald and he awoke the next morning with his hair down to his waist, she didn't reprimand him for being a 'freak', for once. He had finally managed to do something good in her eyes. Though he didn't know _how_ he did it. It had just happened.

The only good thing about his dresses, was that they were made of wool. At least he didn't freeze in the winters. At least he was still small in physical size. Petunia hadn't had to buy him new clothes in four years because he wasn't very tall for a ten-year old. He had a feeling it as the malnutrition and poor upbringing he had. The books in the library had described such ailments and he had determined that they were the most suited to his issues.

Being forced to live in a dark cold cupboard for seven years of your life, tended to keep you pale and sickly looking. At least in his opinion, he looked sick. And then if he didn't finish the ridiculous list of chores he was given for the day, he'd get no meals, because someone once got the bright idea that refusing a child any nourishment, was a splendid punishment. If he ruined even one thing in any of the meals he cooked for his 'family' he'd get no food for the rest of the day, and double chores the next day. Because of such brutal living conditions, Harry was small and extremely malnourished.

Harry hated that people everywhere thought he was a girl. He just had one of those faces.  _Androgynous_ was the word that the dictionary had thrown in his face. He embodied it completely and hated it. He wasn't a girl and he didn't want to be walking around looking like one and being mistaken for one, though sometimes people he didn't know were a lot nicer because they thought he was a 'respectable young lady'. But that didn't make it okay to force him into something he didn't want nor agree with.

So on this day of 23 June 1991, Harry or better known to the world as Hadrianna, was finally getting out of the house to go with his fat spoiled cousin and his friend Piers to the Zoo! Why? Because there were laws against leaving children home alone until they reached a certain age and since the old lady they used to pawn him off on was injured after falling over one of her many felines, they had to take him along. He didn't yet know if he should be grateful or not.

Vernon's chubby hand brandished his silver car key in Harry's face and muttered, 'no funny business or no meals for a week'. Harry had nodded, though he knew he couldn't really promise such a thing. 'Funny business' just happened around him and he couldn't control it. It wasn't _his_ fault that things either changed colour or exploded whenever he became too emotional. At least, most of the time it wasn't willingly his fault.

The ride to the zoo was painful. Dudley had punched him twice and his friend Piers had attempted to steal a kiss after each try to make up for what 'Dudley was doing to such a sweet girl'. The Dursleys didn't tell the boy's parents that Harry wasn't a girl, so the boy had been trying to get Harry's first kiss for the last year. Which was weird because they were too young for that, weren't they? Why was Piers so intent upon having Harry's first kiss?

That was another thing that annoyed him about being androgynous. He was prettier than all the little girls on Privet Drive or in Little Whinging as a whole. Most of the children, including Dudley, didn't like him for this fact and found reasons to try to bring him down one way or another. But Piers had nothing against Harry and the young boy wanted so much to tell the daft moron that he wasn't a girl, but a look in Aunt Petunia's direction warned him against such an action. He didn't even want to imagine the punishment he'd be given if he blabbed the truth now of all times.

The Zoo was large and full of various animals that Harry had only ever seen in photos on the glossy pages of his textbooks. Dudley and Piers wanted food as soon as they arrived and Vernon gladly paid for them. It was by a stroke of luck that the vendor noticed Harry at all, standing beside his incredibly thin and horse like aunt. Harry got a free cup of sorbet and a Drumstick Lolly for being such a 'pretty little girl'.

So there were a  _few_  good points to being mistaken for a girl, but the cons outweighed the pros greatly. Like how he was whistled at on the street when working on his garden. That was creepy. And yes, it was _his_ garden seeing as he put all the work into it.

After the food bit, they finally got to venturing around the place. Harry was mainly interested in the Reptile House, because he had always liked snakes. They were amazing and there were so many of them to stare at.

When they finally reached the destination he had been longing for, Dudley made an embarrassment of their group by screaming about how boring the snakes were for not moving when he demanded. Harry just rested himself near the glass of a Burmese Python and watched as Petunia tried to calm the annoying child she'd given birth to. He did cease his fake sobbing after a promise of five more presents, to add to the thirty-eight he had already gotten at home. Spoiled prat.

Dudley and Piers came over to where he was stood and stared at the sleeping serpent behind the clear wall that separated them. Dudley groaned that it wasn't moving and Piers was too busy smiling at Harry to care much about what the snake was not doing.

Dudley's sudden rapping on the glass startled the other two children into giving him horrified looks of embarrassment when others turned to look their way. He then yelled for the creature to move in some way, but Harry just had this feeling that it was ignoring him. Dudley then grabbed Piers' hand and proceeded to drag him away to look at the 'cool snakes', saying that the one Harry had taken root by was 'stupid'.

Harry turned to the poor reptile and decided apologies were in order.

"Sorry about him. He doesn't know what it's like. Lying there day after day. Watching people press their ugly faces in on you."

For the first time in his life, Harry was blow away by something.

The snake's eyes opened and it's body raised, until it was eye level with Harry.  _It winked_!

"C-can you hear me?" he asked, trying to put it all together. A snake winking seemed a little farfetched, even to his imagination.

 _It nodded_!

The snake understood English!

Harry couldn't be too sure, be he had a feeling the snake's eyes were sparkling. As if it possessed some hidden knowledge he was unaware of.

"I've never talked to a snake before. Do you talk to people often?"

 _It shook its head 'no'_!

"You are the most amazing reptile I've ever come across," Harry confessed. Not that he had come across many in his life.

§ _ **Thanks.**_ §

Harry's jaw dropped. The snake spoke English with an accented 'S' sound. Dear Lord, was it a magic snake or something?

"You speak English!" he exclaimed, barely managing to keep his voice down so as not to gather the wrong sort of attention.

§ _ **No, you speak Parseltongue. Snake language.**_ §

"Uhh... I don't think that's a real language."

§ _ **Of course it is. Only magical beings can speak it though, and you are a witch.**_ §

Harry frowned. Even the bloody snake mistook him for a girl! Would there ever be an end to it?

"My uncle said that magic doesn't exist. Also, I'm a boy in case you didn't notice."

The snake then gave him a very detailed once over that clearly stated its response to his statement. He was being sassed by a bloody snake!

"I swear, I'm a boy. My aunt doesn't want to buy me clothing and waste money on something not worth it, so she bought me this dress and I've had it for four years, 'cause I haven't grown much. She makes me dress like a girl and won't cut my hair."

Harry had a feeling that the snake didn't like his answer, but whether it did or not, it never responded to his claims. Instead, it focused on something else. § _ **Magic exists. You are a wizard. Only magicals can speak Parseltongue and you are a Parselmouth. Tell me, has anything strange ever happened to you or around you that you could not explain?**_ §

Harry froze at the question. How did the snake know? "Yes," he whispered, eyes going wide.

§ _ **Tell me.**_ §

"I turned a teacher's hair blue for yelling at me. Whenever my hair is cut, it grows back twice as long in the course of a single evening. I once appeared on the top of my school after running from my bully of a cousin and jumping over a rubbish bin only to end up on the school roof instead of the other side of the bin. Sometimes my cupboard gets warmer when I'm too cold and other times it'll cool down when it's too hot. A flower bloomed after I touched it. Windows explode when I scream. I can make the broom move on its own if I imagine hard enough. And now apparently I can talk to snakes."

Before either of them could say anything, Dudley reappeared and elbowed Harry out of the way. The pre-teen fell to the cold floor and glared at his cousin who was currently pressed to the glass, fat face squished against his own reflection.

Fat, ruddy walrus in training, he was. Bet he'd like to be in there  _with_  the snake. Harry would certainly get a laugh out of it.

Dudley screamed in horror and his large body suddenly teetered forward and he  _fell into the snake tank_! The glass was gone.

The snake slithered out of the large box and people screamed and ran for the exit. Harry just sat on the floor even as the entire hall was cleared of people and Dudley was laying in the water in the tank, not moving.

The snake looked up at him.

§ _ **That was your magic. I am coming with you.**_ §

Harry was flabbergasted. § _ **How are you going to hide yourself?**_ § he asked.

§ _ **Place your hands upon my form and think of making me smaller. Quickly!**_ §

Harry did as instructed and hoped beyond all hope that the snake would shrink before anyone saw him doing any 'funny business'.

It did! The large, several foot long Python was suddenly as long as his arm. It then wrapped around his hand and coiled around it, before slithering up his sleeve and into his dress.

Then the Zoo workers were everywhere and they managed to pull Dudley out of the tank. He was soaked. Petunia, Vernon, and Piers were worried for him. Harry was asked about the snake and he said that it moved from the tank like the glass wasn't there and slithered out, snapping at people. He was shocked when they believed him. Idiots. How do you explain the missing glass wall that had been there earlier?

His relatives knew he was behind it though. When they returned home, he was tossed into his cupboard and locked in. That meant no food for a week. Again. He sighed.

§ _ **Is this a common occurrence?**_ § the snake hissed after slithering out from his sleeve.

§ _ **Yes,**_ § he nodded.

§ _ **Disgusting muggles, locking a magical child up in such a way. What is your name, boy?**_ §

Harry didn't know what a muggle was, but didn't ask. He just answered the question.

§ _ **Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter. Do you have a name?**_ §

§ _ **A Potter living with muggles. Disgraceful,**_ § the snake hissed, shaking its head.

§ ** _May I have your name, please?_** § Harry repeated firmly, catching the snake's attention once more.

Those green eyes, which he had never thought possible for a snake, stared at him with bright interest. It was dark in the cupboard, but Harry could see the eyes just fine and the outline of the snake's form was easy to spot.

Finally, the snake hissed, § ** _I am Tom Marvolo Riddle._** §

* * *

**A/N: First chapter is done.**

**How was it? Let me know!**

**Check out my other Tomarry/Harrymort fics!**

**See ya! :D**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR.[HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON](http://helly-watermelonsmellinfellon.tumblr.com/). I FOLLOW BACK.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHECK OUT MY MANY OTHER HARRYMORT/TOMARRY FICS!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Harry talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 29 July 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> Tom is from the Gaunt Ring Horcrux. That Horcrux was created in the Summer of 1943, only a couple of months after the Diary was made a Horcrux in June of 1943. Both Horcruxes are only 16 years of age.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter. Quotes from the movie aren't mine.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR.[HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON](http://helly-watermelonsmellinfellon.tumblr.com/). I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

Harry stared at the snake for a moment. He then asked, § _ **Why do you have a full name like me? You're a snake. Snakes don't need to have full names**_ §

Green eyes eerily glowed in the darkness of the cupboard.

§ _ **I wasn't always a snake., if you must know Some magicals can transfigure themselves to become animals, and I am one of those who can. Admittedly though I cannot perform wandless magic very well in this form, so when those muggles captured me, I couldn't get away. I had been in the zoo for a week and still unable to think of an escape plan. Then to my great fortune, you came along and gave me a way out of there.**_ §

Harry frowned, § _ **So you're actually a person who can turn into a snake? What is a 'muggle'? Where did you get captured? If you have magic why didn't you just turn back and get out yourself?**_ §

Tom seemed to sigh, if snakes could even do that.

He slithered onto the small open space of the cupboard and looked Harry in the eye. § _ **'** **Muggle' is a term for people who have no magic. They are below those who**_ **do** _ **have magic. I do not like muggles, as you may have gathered.**_ §

§ _ **So you're a wizard then?**_ §

Tom's head bobbed. § ** _I was captured in a place called Little Hangleton and I did not escape because while I detest their existence, I am unaware of how advanced they are  now and what they would do if faced with the reality that is magic. It was best to simply stay in my place until I could think of an escape plan._** §

Harry nodded quietly, understanding at least a big.

§ _ **May I call you Tom?**_ §

His response took a little longer than the previous answer, but Tom finally nodded.

§ _ **Do you not like your name?**_ §

Green eyes widened and Harry knew that he had hit the nail on the head. § _ **I could always call you something else, if you want. If you don't liek your namewe'll come up with another one, or something you prefer to be called if you want.**_ §

Tom's head moved side to side in a mesmerising patern. § _ **What can you come up with, little wizard?**_ §

Harry's lips pursed as he thought over what he knew of mythology. He liked everything that seemed fictional and always made sure to read about the gods, whether they be Norse, Indian, Roman, Japanese, or Greek.

§ _ **Loki.**_ § he decided.

§ _ **The Norse god of mischief and chaos? It is acceptable.**_ §

Harry had a feeling that whomever Tom really was, he was also a bit of a prat. Who goes around saying, 'it is acceptable'? No one that he knew of at least. It was so... old.

§ _ **Why would you turn yourself into a snake in the first place?**_ §

§ _ **I will tell you that story tomorrow, when there is more space to show you. Will you be in here long?**_ §

§ _ **All night.**_ §

§ _ **Why?**_ §

§ _ **This is my room.**_ §

Tom started to hiss real fast, head shaking from side to side. § _ **Why are you even with these muggles? Who in their right mind would leave a Potter with muggles.**_ §

Harry shrugged. § _ **I _'_ m an orphan and they are my next-of-kin.**_§

Tom's head lowered. § _ **What about parents? What happened to them?**_ §

§ _ **Dead in a car crash, or so Aunt Petunia tells me.**_ §

Harry frowned again. According to Tom, he was a wizard with magic. That meant that the 'funny business' he always did, was magic. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon always knew that he was the one doing the 'funny business' so that meant that they knew he was a wizard. And they didn't like it. They always punished him for things that couldn't be proven. They knew... and they never told him.

So then, did his parents really die in a car crash? If they would lie about magic being real, then what else would they lie about?

§ _ **You said my surname before, like it was important or something. Is it?**_ §

Tom stared for a slid minute, before saying, § _ **The Potters are an old family. A Pureblood family. I can only deduce that one of your parents was a Muggleborn if you are somehow related to the buffoons outside. That makes you a Halfblood, like me.**_ §

§ _ **Halfblood, Muggleborn, and Pureblood?**_ §

§ _ **There are three types of magical humans. Pureblood, Halfblood, and Muggleborn. Muggleborn come from two muggles with no magic in their line. A Halfblood is either a Pureblood/Muggleborn mix, two Halfblood parents, two Muggleborn parents, a Halfblood/Pureblood mix, or a Pureblood/Muggleborn mix. A Pureblood has no muggle relations dating back five hundred years, and are considered the highest in magical society while Muggleborns in my time, weren't so well favoured. Things may have changed, considering the time period.**_ §

Harry processed all this information. Wizards had their own society? How many were there out there? Wait a tick…

§ _ **Did you say 'your time'? As in, you're in a different time now?**_ §

§ _ **Out of everything I just said, you picked up on only that?**_ §

§ _ **I understood everything, but that part is what confuses me.**_ §

§ _ **I'll tell you in the morning.**_ §

§ _ **Okay.**_ §

By some odd stroke of luck, Harry was ordered to clean the attic the next morning after cooking breakfast. Tom had thrown a fit over him not getting any food. Harry had just shrugged, already used to not eating for days on end.

Harry was instructed by Tom to place his hands on him once more and think of him as his normal size. He did so and watched in fascination as the small snake wasn't so small anymore.

Then Tom began to glow and Harry's eyes went wide as he grew and grew until their was a tall young man standing where the snake had previously rested.

His hair was black like Harry's but shorter and a little wavy. His eyes were just a shade lighter than Harry's were but that didn't detract from how intense they were. Like they could see through anything that came their way.

Tom was dressed in a casual, black flecked double-breasted suit coat with black trousers. On his head was a black Fedora. His shoes were white and black and very fanciful. Tom looked like someone from the fifties if Harry guessed correctly.

The older wizard held out a hand and Harry took it cautiously, shaking it in greeting.

"You really look like a girl."

Harry deflated instantly. "Please don't remind me."

Tom chuckled and Harry flushed in embarrassment. He hated looking like a girl!

"You could always use it to your advantage. Being androgynous isn't so bad. It worked for me for several years. It still could, if I don't speak."

Harry grumbled, but didn't say anything.

Tom held his left hand out and Harry caught sight of the ring on his middle finger.

"This ring was passed down on my mother's side of the family. I had recently found a method to turn myself immortal and used the ring in the ritual."

"How can a ring make you immortal?" It was just a ring.

Tom slowly smiled until it was a sinister-like expression spreading across his face. Harry's heart leapt in response. Suddenly, Tom seemed very dangerous and Harry was wondering over whether or not they should be speaking.

"I'm not a good person, Hadrian. Are you sure you'd like to hear the story?"

Those eyes and that voice, the way he stood before the young boy, Harry could tell that Tom was telling the truth. He believed in his heart that he wasn't a good person and told Harry to his face. He was giving Harry a chance to not learn how truly bad he was. But Harry found himself not caring.

"I want to know."

Tom chose a wall to lean against as Harry cleaned.

"I was born 31 December 1926 in Wool's Orphanage. My mother had gone there to give birth, because my  _father_ left her. He left her because she was a witch and he didn't want to associate with a 'freak'. She stumbled to the orphanage one night and gave birth me, named me after my wretch of a  _father,_ and then died, unable to find the energy to stay alive. I was left in the orphanage.

"A man came to the orphanage when I was eleven and offered me a place in his school that taught magic and I was finally able to leave for a while. During my years in the school, I learned that I was the descendant of a very important wizard in the history of the school. My ability to speak with snakes explained this. I began searching for my ancestor's secrets that were hidden within the school, along with ways to become immortal. I found both and the ritual required the murder of a person. Anyone."

The cruel smile never left Tom's lips. He looked happy as he told his story. Harry had to wonder if the man was all there in the head.

"In my fifth year, I found the perfect subject for my ritual. When you commit a murder, the soul fractures and you can tear a piece from the whole and seal it within something to make a Horcrux. As long as the Horcrux exists, even if the body is destroyed, the soul will remain earthbound and one can find another body. I did this."

"And you did that with your family ring?" Harry asked, gesturing to the gold ring on his finger.

Tom chuckled, deep, dark, and eerie. "Not at first. My first soul piece went into my diary. I murdered a young student to accomplish it. My second soul piece happened a couple of months later where I went after my father. He refused to acknowledge my presence and existence and I murdered him right there, creating my second Horcrux. I am the soul piece that was inside the ring. A muggle decided to raid the Gaunt Shack that had housed the ring, and the curse on the ring overtook the fool and I absorbed his life force in order to gain a body once more."

Harry had paused in his cleaning to think about it all. He looked back to the man and asked, "Do you feel any remorse over the murders you committed?"

Tom scoffed. "I will never feel sorry for my pathetic muggle father. He deserved it for leaving my mother and I. As for little Myrtle, not so much. In fact, I think I may have helped her more than anything. She was always whinging about something or other and had no friends. She was a Muggleborn and was looked down upon for it. She always said she wanted to go home. I feel bad that she wasn't treated right, but not for using her for my own means. I won't lie to you and as I said, I'm not good."

"I don't agree with what you did. Quite frankly, I think it's barbaric."

Tom's eyes narrowed in challenge.

"However, not everyone is a good person too. I understand your reason for it, even though I don't agree that murder should be the answer. However, I can't judge you on doing something bad because I've done bad things as well. Maybe not murder, but I have stolen food from people just by thinking about wanting it. I've taken money by wanting it and it appearing. I've destroyed my cousin's toys by wishing them on fire. I've vandalized buildings by imagining it, all so I can have my revenge. I'm not so great of a person either."

Tom and he stared each other down for a few moments, before Tom said, "You're unnaturally wise for a child your age. How old are you?"

"I'll be eleven next month."

"What year is it? How old are you anyway?"

"Uh... 24 June 1991 and my eleventh birthday is 31 July. We're in Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England."

Tom nodded "Your Hogwarts letter should arrive soon."

"Hogwarts?"

"The magical school I mentioned in my story. It's lies in an unplottable location in the mountains of Scotland."

"Wicked."

Harry looked around at the dirty attic sighed. This would take forever, unless he sped it up a bit. Petunia wasn't up there to see him doing, 'funny business', so she'd never know.

Harry closed his eyes and thought deeply. Anytime he wanted something really bad, it happened. So maybe he could try it now. He really wanted the attic clean and organized. So maybe if he wanted it really, really, badly, it would happen.

 _It did_!

Suddenly, things were floating and the dust pan and broom were sweeping while the rags were moving over the dusty surfaces.

Harry looked around and mumbled, "Just like in Sleeping Beauty. Oh I am  _not_  Sleeping Beauty!"

He glared at the moving objects, his annoyance draining away with the awe of realising that he had used  _magic_ to do this.

Tom stood there for a while. "You have a lot of power to be able to use your magic wandlessly and non-verbally. Do you do any of this deliberately or is it all accidental?"

"Once I realised it was me, I was able to do it for certain things, but not everything. I'm lucky that this is working here. I can do it when I plant the garden. We have the best rose bushes in the neighborhood because I can make the plants grow really nicely," Harry answered, watching as the cleaning utensils rested against the wall and everything came to a halt. "Other times it doesn't work as well."

The room was spotless in no time.

"Are you going to eat at all today?" Tom asked after a moment of silence.

The boy shook his head, "No food for a week after what happened yesterday. It's alright, I've gotten used to it after so long."

Tom's green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why does your aunt make you act like a girl? The last time I checked that was not considered a normal habit that was accepted by society."

"Well, think of it. Three dresses for a few measly pounds, or several jumpers and trousers which would cost a lot more. Even though the Charity Shop isn't expensive, she saved money by purchasing me girl clothes. I've barely grown into these and she hasn't had to buy me anything except one pair of shoes since I was eight. I'm really small. My hair has always grown quickly and she realised that it kept growing in longer and longer when she cut it. I looked like a girl."

"And you are worked like a slave and forced to sleep in a small, cold, dark cupboard along with it all. No food on a regular basis and no toys of any kind."

Tom looked out the small circular window that illuminated the attic with sunlight. "Want to get back at them?"

"Huh?"

Tom's creepy smile came back. "I'm very good at revenge. Though what I did in the orphanage wouldn't be considered good to you, so we'll tone it down a little, what do you think?"

Harry was skeptical, "What will I do?"

Tom turned his smile to the pre-teen. "I'm going to teach you. In return for keeping me here and with you, I'll teach you everything I know about magic. And you will use it against them soon, do we have an accord?"

"I won't hurt them, right?"

"Not unless you want to," Tom answered firmly.

Harry huffed, "Okay then."

Creepy grin again. "Excellent."

It had been a week and Harry was good enough to freeze his relatives in place with his magic. He couldn't necessarily do spells, but sometimes he got the effects of spells down, just by  _wanting_ it to happen.

So with Tom's guidance, he rehearsed what he was going to do and finally put it into practice.

His 'family' was pinned to the wall in the dining room and he was glaring at them.

"From this moment on, I am moving into Dudley's second bedroom. You will not hinder me, nor will you complain. I will also be eating full meals and no longer doing chores for you. I will however, continue with the garden to keep up with appearances and will continue to dress as a girl to save your reputations around the neighborhood. When I receive my Hogwarts letter, you will drive me to the Leaky Cauldron in London and pick me up at the appropriate times. Until I am old enough to leave this place, you will assist me unless I tell you otherwise. Do not whinge and do not challenge me or I may do some 'funny business' and burn your belongings to the ground."

* * *

**A/N: First chapter is done.**

**How was it? Let me know!**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry learns that he's famous. He then learns why. Tom goes through some identity problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 29th July 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> Remember, Tom is from the Gaunt Ring and is only 16 years old. His reaction is pretty spot on.  
> Harry's wand is different.  
> Harry is still dressed like a girl.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

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* * *

Harry was kneeling in the garden, pulling weeds and the like. Loki(Tom) was beside him in snake form and they were talking.

§ _ **How did someone even get into your house? Isn't it magical?**_ ** _Wouldn't you have put protections up?_** §

§ _ **The Gaunt Shack was home to the Purebloods of the Gaunt family. Unfortunately, they had inbred a lot so their magic was too similar and the protections around the place were non existent. I do not know what my other self did, but the man who entered had managed to kill the snakes guarding it. However, when he touched the golden ring sitting on the hearth, he was overcome by a curse and his life force was absorbed by me, and I was removed from the ring and was suddenly standing in my mother's old home.**_ §

§ _ **So you're just a small piece of someone's soul?**_ "§

§ _ **Yes, to put it rather bluntly.**_ §

§ _ **Do you know where the rest of you is?**_ §

Loki's head shook. § _ **No. I was captured by the muggles before I had the chance. I was simply venturing around Little Hangleton to see what had changed and someone spotted a rather enormous Burmese Python slithering in the grass and somehow, they contacted the handlers of the zoo and I was captured... by a bag. The most embarrassing moment of my life and I am only sixteen, if you don't count the fifty years stuck inside a ring, part.**_ §

§ _ **Were you aware during the fifty years, or no?**_ §

§ _ **Yes. And it was the most boring thing you can imagine. Somehow, I made a replica of the Riddle House, which was my father's home, where I killed him. Maybe it was because that was the place I was in when I created the Horcrux. I do not understand it. Maybe if I had my diary, I'd be able to see his experience as a Horcrux. If he spent the last fifty years in a replica of Hogwarts, I envy him. The Riddle House reminded me of my**_ **muggle father**   _ **and I was not pleased.**_ §

Harry wiped a hand across his forehead and asked, § _ **Why do you hate muggles so much?**_ §

§ _ **They are so quick to turn away those who are different. Ever heard of the Salem Witch Trials? They weren't the only witches burned at the stake. The worst part is that most of the people who were burned, were not magical in the least. Just muggles who had skills that others didn't have. Like musical or artistic ability and if they didn't conform, then they were labeled as witches by the churches and hunted down. People were jealous that they didn't have such vaunted skills and if the churchgoers determined that it was satanic, then it had to be stopped for good.**_ §

§ _ **I get how that can be annoying, but that just can't be the only thing. I'm sure all humans have some type of prejudice in them somehow.**_ §

Loki sighed. § _ **If a witch or wizard is discovered in their family, most of the time they are shunned. Racism is ridiculous. Hating because of skin color and nationality is worse than blood, in my opinion at least. Negative reactions to same sex couples. Unwillingness to get to know the 'odd man out'. So many reasons I don't like muggles and I do not feel like listing them all because we would be out here all day and it's too scorching for me to tell you every fact now.**_ §

§ _ **And the fact that your father left your mother is also one of these facts, correct?**_ "§

Loki did not answer, but he didn't need to. Harry could understand how he was feeling and didn't fault him for it. He had a lot of good points and unfortunately he couldn't counter them, especially with people like the Dursley's as his blood. Also, Harry wasn't so learned that he could give a proper argument that someone like Loki deserved. Maybe in a few years he could, once he knew enough.

Harry lingered in the garden for another hour, asking Loki as many questions as he could come up with. It was three weeks until his birthday and he was eager to learn more about magic. How did it do certain things, why did it affect muggle electricity so badly? Loki accepted all of his questions patiently and managed to give him some really long explanations that he actually remembered. Which shocked the little wizard because who walked around knowing so much stuff?

Harry's magic was a lot easier to control, thanks to Loki's assistance. He was able to levitate small objects for a few moments and could freeze things in place. He could also 'summon' things from certain distances and was working on making his room cooler just with magic. The cupboard was small and cramped, allowing him to cool himself off easily in the summers, but his new room - Dudley's old toy room - was a lot larger in size and a lot harder to cool down.

A new room all for Harry. Dudley was not happy that Harry had moved in on his territory. He was also angry that the boy had thrown away every broken object and called him a pack rat. Harry did not feel bad, because Dudley was a slob and he refused to live in such a mess. Especially since it wasn't even his own mess!

He was able to get the telly and VCR to work once more and was able to take some tapes that Dudley had forgotten about, from his room. Dudley was so daft that he didn't realise that there was nothing actually  _wrong_ with the telly. He would have only had to change the channel to see that it was fine. His loss was Harry's gain.

Loki was shocked a how far muggles had come, but wouldn't admit that he was impressed. He was too prideful.

 

The morning Harry's Hogwarts letter came, was probably one of the best in his life, besides meeting a talking snake and learning that he had magic and could do cool things with it.

He looked over the list and smiled, it was finally time.

"Uncle Vernon, I need you to drop me off in London. You won't need to pick me up. However I will send you a message when the school term ends. Do not expect me for the holidays."

The man grunted as he ate his breakfast, but nodded. He didn't want Harry to do any, 'funny business'.

Harry scribbled his reply on a piece of paper and handed it to the owl that was sitting outside on the car. It hooted and flew away.

§ _ **Follow my instructions.**_ §

§ _ **Okay, okay.**_ §

After several hisses, Harry was able to get the particular order of the bricks correct and he was shocked to see the bricks pull away from each other to reveal Diagon Alley.

§ _ **Why did it work even though I don't have a wand?**_ § he whispered in confusion.

§ _ **Because you are more in tune with your magic than others your age generally are. Very odd, considering you didn't know about magic until a few weeks ago.**_ §

Harry hummed his understanding and entered the bustling alley, avoiding people at every turn he could manage.

§ _ **Head for the big white building on the other side of the alley. That's Gringotts. The Goblins will be able to help you learn about your family and such. You're a Potter, you should have a vault somewhere in there.**_ §

Barely anyone looked in his direction. No one seemed to question the huge snake wrapped around his shoulders. Apparently, such was normal behavior in the wizarding world. Amazing. Apparently he did not need a license to keep such a dangerous animal within his possession in the magical side of the world.

When he finally reached the bank, he had to smile at the challenge written on the door. That was something he'd like to try at least once in his life.

Inside was sort of dark. The only light came from a very large chandelier hanging in the center of the large room. There were long tables on either side of the hall with what he believed to be, Goblins, sitting and working at them. Some had stacked of gold coins in front of them, others had parchment, one was measuring jewels on a brass scale.

Loki hissed in his ear, § _ **Talk to the Head Goblin about the Potter Vaults. He's the one with the high podium at the end of the room. Call him Head Goblin Ragnok, as his station demands.**_ §

Harry nodded and went straight for the Goblin that had a fancier seat than everybody else.

He stared up at the creature and cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, Head Goblin Ragnok?"

The Goblin froze in his movement and leaned over the podium to look at Harry with his black, beady eyes. "Yes?" One white eyebrow raised slowly and the Goblin stared him down, making him feel small.

"Who am I to speak to about the Potter Vaults?"

"And why would you need to speak about the Potter family at all?"

Loki hissed quickly, § _ **Request a blood test and give him your full name.**_ §

"I'm Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter and I'd like to take a blood test please?"

The Goblin's eyes went wide and his eyes traveled to Harry's forehead, making the boy quirk a bro. It was like the Goblin knew about his scar, which was hidden by long bangs.

Ragnok called another Goblin over and they began to speak in a language that Harry didn't know.

§ _ **Gobbledegook,**_ § Loki hissed.

That was a language?

There was suddenly a large blade hanging in front of his face, making him step back in shock.

"A little blood on the blade will determine who you are. The results shall appear on the parchment in my hand."

Harry took the blade carefully, not liking the idea but knowing it was best to follow Loki's advice. He hesitantly cut the tip of his left index finger. There was only a slight feeling of pain, before blood welled up and tried to spill over but the blade literally sucked it from the wound, making Harry's eyes widen. That was pretty wicked itself.

He handed the weapon back and the Goblin's eyes were looking over the parchment before him.

"Welcome, Heir Potter, Heir Apparent Black. If you do not know, your godfather is currently Lord Black; the former lord recently passed with no living heirs except his estranged grandson. Lord Black is currently in prison and was imprisoned without a trial and under false charges. You have the power to request a trial with use of Veritaserum if you'd like."

Harry blinked in confusion and answered, "I'm sorry sir, but I only just learned of my magic about two weeks ago. I live with muggles and I do not know everything I should yet. I do not understand most of what you just said, save for my godfather was imprisoned unjustly."

Ragnok looked at him in silence for a moment, before saying, "Dumbledore left you with muggles and never told you about your magic?"

"Who?"

Beady eyes narrowed and looked back to the parchment. "It's states very clearly that Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is your Magical Guardian. He is the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He should have been a prevalent factor in your childhood. Are you saying you have never met him?"

"Yes. Never heard of him either. I skipped through my Hogwarts letter and just grabbed the list."

"And how would you know there was a list to skip to?"

"My snake told me."

Eyes drifted to the parchment again. "Gift of Parseltongue from soul fragment lodged in lightning bolt scar on the forehead."

"'Soul fragment'?" the boy repeated, looking to Loki who coiled even tighter around his shoulders.

Ragnok stood and mumbled something to the Goblin beside him.

"Follow me, Heir Potter."

The boy followed the Goblin into a separate room which looked very fancy. It was probably his office.

They sat across from each other and Ragnok sighed, "Heir Potter, you do not know your history, correct?"

Harry shook his head.

"Ten years ago, 31 October 1981, the current Dark Lord entered your home and murdered your parents, James and Lily Potter. Their Secret Keeper, the holder of the information of where their home was located under special protections, gave them away to the Dark Lord. He wanted to kill you because of a prophecy, which is stated clearly right here. A lot of people don't know about the prophecy though. In fact, barely anyone does. Would you like to hear the prophecy?"

Harry managed to nod even as Loki hissed soothingly in his ear.

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies_."

Loki hissed, § _ **You were prophesied to defeat a Dark Lord. Most amazing, Hadrian.**_ §

The Goblin was still talking however. "Because of this, you were targeted and your parents fought him to protect you. When he turned his wand on you, something went amiss and the Killing Curse rebounded from you to him, leaving your scar. His body was never recovered. However, there is some bad news that this parchment has revealed."

§ _ **You survived the Killing Curse! No one has ever done that!**_ §

"According to this, which has all information regarding you, the Dark Lord accidentally made you a Horcrux that night and part of his soul splintered off and lodged itself into your scar, gifting you with the ability to speak the snake language. Now, a Horcrux is-"

"I know what that is," Harry interrupted. "I didn't know it was possible to make a human Horcrux though. I just thought they were random objects. So wait, is he still alive since I have a part of his soul?" A part of Voldemort living inside of him. Ew.

Ragnok's eyes narrowed, "Yes. This is a shock, because all those years ago, he was pronounced dead and with you being the only living creature in the area with the scar of the Killing Curse on your forehead and yet you were obviously alive, people assumed you defeated him. You were then given the moniker, the Boy-Who-Lived. You're world-famous and many have gifted you will various things to express their gratitude. We checked everything before putting anything within your trust vault of course."

§ _ **Ask for the name of the Dark Lord!**_ § Loki urged suddenly.

"What was the Dark Lord's name?"

Ragnok grimaced, "Many people do not know. However, we Goblins have great memories and he was the Heir of Slytherin and since the former did not die nor did he have any children, I'm certain it was Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Harry's eyes widened and Loki hissed, falling off Harry's shoulders to land with a harsh thud on the carpet.

In the snake's place, was a man. Tom. Tom looked berserk.

"I became a  _Dark Lord_?! That wasn't the plan at all!"

Ragnok's eyes narrowed, "Tom Marvolo Riddle, looking just the same as you did the day you came into Gringotts to take the blood test and were revealed to be Heir Slytherin. You're a Horcrux. Meaning there may be more than two besides you and Heir Potter. Also meaning you are the reason that Heir Potter knows about Horcruxes."

Harry nodded, but was staring at Tom in worry.

Tom was pacing the length of the office, muttering to himself. He then looked to Ragnok and asked, "Am I going to be blamed for whatever my older self has done?"

The Goblin shook his head. "No. No one but Heir Potter and now me, knows that you exist. As such, you do not have to announce yourself and it would be preferable that you don't. The fact that you are a Horcrux is not beneficial to the situation and while the Goblins do not consider it bad, the Ministry will imprison you just for existing and would most likely blame you for what Lord Voldemort has done."

Tom's head was in his hands. "That name. He turned something like that into such a title. What about followers? What were they called?"

"Death Eaters."

Tom frowned. At least the Knights of Walpurgis weren't out in a bad light.

"I just don't understand how I went from being like this, to being a Dark Lord," Tom admitted, voice distant with disbelief.

Ragnok nodded, "I wonder as well. Lord Voldemort is the epitome of Pureblood supremacy and blood purity bigotry. He slaughters Muggleborns and muggles easily with no remorse. He shuns creatures and feels they are under him and should follow his every word. He's a sociopathic megalomaniac and then some."

Tom sat in the chair beside Harry and sighed. "I don't understand."

"Do you know if you planned on making any other Horcruxes?" Ragnok asked as he looked down at the parchment with Harry's information on it.

"Yes. I had already created one and  _I_  was the second out of the five I had planned."

Ragnok's eyebrows shot up. " _Five_?"

Tom shrugged, "I was going for six, but the Sword of Gryffindor disappears and only reappears when someone has need of it. I was going to use the Founders' items and since that was unattainable, it went down to five instead."

"The fact that you managed to make more than one, shows extreme power, but also extreme foolishness. Horcruxes take your humanity and sanity. The more you make, you more you lose yourself until all good emotions are gone. There is you, another and Heir Potter, plus however many others Voldemort made. It's no surprise he is the way he is. He is literally insane."

Harry grimaced. "And I have a piece of an insane man's soul inside me?"

"There is no known way to remove it except death and I don't believe you'd wish to go that for."

Harry shook his head frantically. He had just learned of his magic. He didn't want to die suddenly without ever getting to know it.

"The only advice I can give at this moment, is to stay close to each other. If Heir Slytherin is found, he will be in danger. In return, Heir Potter can benefit from Heir Slytherin's knowledge."

Harry nodded, "I'm okay with that. Since Tom wasn't the one who did the actually deeds of this Voldemort character, I hold nothing against him."

"Hadrian, you are far too forgiving and trusting," Tom commented, eyes hard.

Harry turned to Ragnok. "You said something about my godfather getting a trial?," he asked, remembering something about false imprisonment.

Ragnok was back in business mode and he snapped his fingers. A Goblin appeared by his side. "This is the Black House Account Manager, Mordrednok. Mordrednok, Lord Black was never given a trial to be sent to Azkaban, correct?"

The new Goblin rifled through some papers in the binder in his hands, before nodding. "Yes. That it actually illegal and he or Heir Potter can press charges against the Ministry for it, as well as demand a trial."

"You said he was falsely accused before. What would happen if he was freed?"

The Goblins looked at each other and then faced Harry. Mordrednok spoke, "He would be fit to adopt you after a successful psyche evaluation from St. Mungo's and a few sessions of meeting each other to determine how comfortable you are with him."

Harry looked at Tom expectantly, who moved away a bit. "Why are you looking at me?"

"What should I do?"

"Why are you coming to me, it's your life that this will affect, not mine."

Harry shook his head though, because Tom wasn't getting it. "From one orphan to another, Tom. Should I give it a go?"

Tom frowned and looked at the floor of the office for a moment. " _Yes_ ," he gritted out. "Any chance is a chance worth taking if it means freedom from your oppressors."

"Okay then, how do I request a trial?"

Mordrednok spoke, "It is done. For an extra fee we have many worthwhile solicitors on hand to assist you and the facts over Lord Black's innocence right here."

"Whatever it takes. This Azkaban place doesn't sound too good."

Tom shook his head and murmured, "It isn't."

After some more talking and explaining, Harry was finally able to see his Trust Vault, which was the only Vault of the Potter House he could see at present. As he got older, his restrictions would be lifted. For now, he wasn't considered old or mature enough to be able to look inside any of the other vaults.

Tom had turned back into Loki and wrapped himself securely around Harry's neck. The boy then followed the Goblin Griphook to his vault. It was large and inside were mountains of gold. He was wealthy and would probably never have to know poverty again.

Griphook held the large door open as he stated, "It is a tradition in the Potter House for every child to get a Trust Fund. Each year on their birthday, ten thousand Galleons is deposited within from every other adult owned vault belonging to House Potter. This vault is your personal vault and you may do with it what you wish. We have created new keys to the Potter vaults for you to carry. Worry not, they have been separated into sections for each and Gringotts will hold one key of each while you hold the other. Your Magical Guardian's lack of presence in your life, immediately removes him from said position and he no longer has control over your finances and vaults. Until you gain a proper guardian, Gringotts will be willing to assist your financial workings... for a fee of course."

At Loki's bobbed head, Harry agreed with Griphook's statement and the Goblin nodded as he wrote something down. "This is a pouch that can hold up to ten thousand Galleons. You have no limit to what you can remove from  _this_ vault," he said, handing a green velvet bag with drawstrings over.

Harry accepted it and looked inside. It was small. How would it hold so much?

"Undetectable extension charm," Griphook supplied during his silent overview of the object.

Harry flushed, but smiled in gratitude.

"What's the conversion rate?"

Griphook proceeded to tell him about the different coins and what they were worth. He then explained how much they were worth in 'muggle money' in have just said, pounds.

"We will contact you when more information regarding Lord Black comes. Where will you be staying?"

§ _ **The Leaky Cauldron,**_ § Loki hissed. Harry repeated him.

"Very well then. Please continue. Your standard Hogwarts things could require up to five hundred Galleons, depending on how much quality you desire. A word of advice, make sure you purchase clothing for your gender. While wizards are not as prejudiced over these things as muggles are, you will still face harassment over it and it is best to avoid drama at all costs."

Harry flushed as he filled the pouch. "My aunt is a muggle and because my magic makes my hair grow long so fast and I'm androgynous, she needed an excuse in the eyes of the neighbors, so to save money, she bought me some dresses and makes me act like a girl so they don't think badly of her family. It's not by choice. Though I don't know why other people should care at all as I'm not them and it's not their business."

Griphook sneered, "Muggles." He apparently didn't like them either. "Busybodies run the world, Heir Potter, never forget that."

Once Harry had a few thousand Galleons on hand, intending to be a little spendy for the first time in his life, he followed Griphook back to the entrance hall.

"Thank you for your help, Master Griphook. I will be going by James Evans while staying at the Leaky Cauldron. If I really am famous, I don't want people to know who I am and maul me."

Griphook nodded, "A wise choice, Heir Potter. May your dealings be prosperous."

§ _ **Say, 'and may your gold overflow',**_ § Loki hissed quickly.

Harry repeated him and smiled when Griphook's beady eyes widened. He then bowed to the Goblin and left the bank.

"Where to first, Loki?"

§ _ **Ollivanders, you'll need a wand.**_ §

Harry nodded and headed toward the black shop with the rounded front windows. The name was written in bold, gold lettering on both sides. ' **Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.'** , in the center.

He entered the small shop and looked around. It was dark and eerie. Books everywhere.

A man suddenly appeared from the hallway on the left and Harry nearly jumped.

Light grey eyes stared at him for a moment, before the old man smiled. "I wondered when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter."

Harry's brows drew together and he reached up to see if his scar was visible. It wasn't, so how did the old man know?

"Though I must confess expecting you to come in here, dressed as a boy."

Harry deflated. "My muggle aunt is an exhibitionist and since she can't explain the magic making my hair grow so much to the neighbors, this was what she decided."

The man nodded, "It'll get better eventually. I remember when your parents were in here buying their wands. Some of the best wands I have ever produced."

Ollivander proceeded to rummage through the various book shelves and came back with a wand for Harry to try out. The boy didn't even touch it, he just knew it was wrong. He frowned though. "Can you sense your magic?"

Harry shrugged, "I use it a lot, so I can just tell that that one was wasn't right for me."

"A special case we have here!" Ollivanders eyes brightened and he moved to another shelf, pulling more boxes of wands out.

After a few more shakes of the head, Ollivander gave Harry a calculating look.

"I wonder."

Harry was left in confusion as the man went all the way to the back of his shop to get a wand.

He returned a moment later, carefully removing a wand from a fancy box, "Nice and supple. Yew, thirteen and a half inches, Phoenix Feather."

Harry's eyes were trained on the pale colored wand with an odd handle. He ignored Loki's surprised hiss and grasped the wood firmly.

Bright silver light erupted from the tip and Ollivander grinned, though his eyes looked worried.

"Curious, ever so curious."

"How can a wand be curious?" Harry asked, though he was still staring at the wand. It resonated with his magic well. It felt right. Like cake batter when every ingredient was mixed properly. Weird food analogy, but it was all he had.

Ollivander was oblivious to his thoughts. "I remember every wand I have ever sold, Mr. Potter. It just so happens that the wand you are holding, had a twin brother. The wood harvested at exactly the same time. Same length. Even the Phoenix who gave the feathers gave at the same time. Fashioned and bonded at the same time, they are twins, truly."

Harry looked up at the man, wondering if he was barmy. So the wands were twins. It didn't seem like a big deal to him.

"It just so happens that the twin brother to your wand, was the very wand to give you that scar."

 _Oh_. That was why it was curious. It belonged to the Voldemort fellow.

Loki was hissing lowly in his ear.

"Lord Voldemort did many great things, Mister Potter, and I think that in light of this revelation, we can expect great things from you as well."

Both Loki and Harry descended into an uncomfortable silence after that.

"That'll be seven Galleons!" was Ollivander's chipper reply.

Harry paid for the magic stick and left the shop to go and see about clothing. Madam Malkins looked nice. Hopefully, she wouldn't comment on the dress part.

The small woman was a little pudgy and liked pink. She also had a tape measure floating around her head.

There was already a boy in the shop, with bright platinum blond hair. Harry could tell that he was a snob just by the way he carried himself.

§ _ **Cast an illusion over yourself if you're so worried about him,**_ § Loki suggested.

Harry nearly smacked himself in the forehead, but withheld the urge. With a wave of his hand and a mental picture of how he wanted to come across, he felt his magic swirl and settle. Loki's lessons were really helpful. His reflection in the window showed a brown-haired girl with messy curls and a pretty violet dress that had black designs.

He sighed and continued on his way. Madam Malkin looked up at him as she stepped away from the boy and smiled. "Hogwarts, deary?"

"Yes, Madam."

"Up on the stool, deary."

Harry did as ordered, but leaned down to whisper his predicament in the woman's ear. He explained his aunt and how his magic made his hair grow so much and she needed an alibi for the muggles.

Madam Malkin smiled and nodded her head in understanding. He sighed in relief. Crisis averted.

"So, you're going to Hogwarts as well?"

Harry looked over to the blonde boy, "Yes."

"I'm going into my first year. I'll be in Slytherin of course. What House do you want to be in?"

§ _ **Anything but Hufflepuff,**_ § Loki hissed.

Harry repeated the words and the boy laughed. "I can understand that. No one wants to be a Hufflepuff. My whole family has been in Slytherin. You?"

"Everything but Hufflepuff," Harry lied. He didn't know enough about the Hogwarts Houses, but he was pretty sure no one in his family was Hufflepuff. It seemed like the pansy House.

"I'm a Pureblood. You?"

"Halfblood. My father was a Pureblood."

"Oh. At least it's better than being a muggleborn."

Harry fought to not roll his eyes. This boy was annoying.

The woman tending to the boy stood, "You're all done, young man. Just a moment or two and they'll be finished."

He stepped down, nose still high in the air.

Harry waited in the silence for Madam Malkin to finish his measurements.

Loki suddenly slipped from behind his long illusioned hair, scaring the poor woman onto the floor and making curse the wizard way.

"Dear Merlin and Morgana!" she shrieked, hand pressed against her throat.

Harry winced and extended a hand to help her up. "Sorry. He is rather harmless, I promise. A real cuddler, that one."

Loki slithered to the floor and began a rather fierce tirade over Harry debasing his fearsome character and how he would not stand for such rudeness. Harry fought his laughter, not wanting to hint that he could understand him. Who knew was people thought about people speaking to animals.

The woman finished his measurements and left him alone with the blond. Harry didn't pay much attention to the boy. Instead he was trying to get Loki to grow up and return to his place. The boy would not be ignored however.

"If you're so casual about a large snake hanging off your body, you may very well be a Gryffindor. Though the fact that you have a snake at all, might mean you are Slytherin material. How is your intelligence level?"

"High."

The boy shrugged, "So long as you aren't a Hufflepuff, you won't be so bad to associate with. Hufflepuffs are the lowest of the low, with no skills, looks, intelligence, bravery or cunning. Peace loving cowards, they are."

Dear God, did the boy ever shut up?

Harry was rescued by the woman who brought the boy's clothes to him in three very large bags. Just then, a woman with light blonde hair, entered the shop and motioned to the boy.

"Draco, are you finished?"

"Yes mother."

The woman stepped forward and Harry could tell she was affluent just by how she carried herself. No wonder the boy was a snob.

She paid for the clothing and ushered her son from the shop. The blond, Draco, looked back to Harry and waved a little and then he was gone.

Madam Malkin appeared then and ushered Harry into the back of the shop.

"You poor boy! Having to dress like a young lady all these years and in such wretched clothing! Don't worry dear, we'll make sure you're put together properly. Now, what sort of clothing would you like?"

Harry sighed and gave the older woman a grateful smile. He proceeded to specify all the things he was looking for in his clothing choices. A lot of emerald-green and black, just because they went with his hair and eyes and were his favorite. Normal clothes, normal robes, two cloaks, school robes, school uniforms, black and green striped pyjamas and finally some decent undergarments and comfortable shoes. And not one bloody dress in sight!

After Madam Malkins, he had to purchase a good trunk. He ended up choosing a multi magical compartmented one with a library, closet and sitting room. The trunk on the outside was as big as he was. It was hard to explain, but there were stairs inside it, leading into it. The way the trunk opened, it allowed for the first step to be like a normal step and then shrink the further down he went. Though he couldn't feel himself shrinking, he knew he was. It was odd, looking up and seeing how large the clerk suddenly was through the hole in the top of the trunk.

He bought it in black, with green outlining and his initials added onto the front. That cost a hefty amount of gold.

From there, he got his other school supplies, placing everything inside the closet in his new trunk. He also checked out Gambol and Japes and Mulpepper's Apothecary. Finally, he purchased an owl. She was white with golden eyes. A Snowy Owl of pure breeding and her name was Hedwig. She was brilliant. She was also nice to Loki, which was good because he was coming to Hogwarts whether people wanted him or not.

Once Harry was absolutely sure he had everything he needed, he got a room at the Leaky Cauldron under the name 'James Evans' and settled in for an evening of reading his new book collection with Tom.

The next month would be grand. Or so he thought.

* * *

**A/N: Another one done!**

**How was it? Let me know.**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's birthday and Sirius's trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 13th August 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> Dumbles isn't exactly good. Maybe not super bad, but not good.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

§ _ **I really like the sweets they have here,**_ § said Harry as he stuffed yet another Chocolate Frog in his mouth. They had become a sort of guilty pleasure.

Loki's green eyes rolled. § _ **Of course you do. You're a child and children think sweets rule the world.**_ §

§ _ **What does me being a child have to do with me liking sweets?**_ §

§ _ **Everything. I do not like sweets. I never have and I never will.**_ §

§ _ **But with the way you're talking, you make it seem as if all children like sweets, which means you must have liked them at some point in your life,**_ § Harry pointed out, sending Loki a look.

§ _ **Why are you arguing with me? Just admit that I am correct and you do not know what you are speaking of.**_ §

§ _ **Never. Your experiences cannot speak for everyone else, Loki.**_ §

Harry had already started his collection of Wizards Cards. The amount of Chocolate Frogs he had already purchased... well, there were a lot of them. Besides that, he spent his days doing lessons with Tom. And Tom had learned that the best way to reward him for doing well was to give him a Chocolate Frog, which ended up being very beneficial on both of their ends.

Tom was an arse, plain and simple. He made Harry do  _homework_  and _extra assignments_. And then he'd make the poor boy scour Diagon Alley for certain objects to learn from. In the Apothecary's shop, Harry had to learn to identify potions and ingredients. A lot of which he noticed were used in cooking, which meant he knew their qualities well enough. So maybe his aunt's insistence upon him getting familiar with the garden and the cooking actually helped him out for once in his life. Potions was actually relatively easy to remember. It was like cooking, but with the risk of blowing up in your face. Though sometimes cooking had that risk too.

Charms were among his favourites, just because they were easy to do in his opinion. Defence came after that, and then Potions. The three sort of battled it out for the spot of being his favourite. He did not like doing homework in the summer, but in reality, he was just reintroduced to a new world and needed to learn as fast as possible so that he didn't remain behind the other students who had no doubt resided int he magical community their whole lives. Tom was helping him as best as he could, pointing him to the correct books and sources. And his magic could be used because Diagon Alley was always bustling with magical individuals and the Ministry could not detect him with others who were lurking around.

During his lessons, Tom was also working to better himself. Just because he was a Horcrux piece didn't mean he was allowed to be idle, or so he explained. So Tom decided to learn more wandless magic in his snake form. He didn't want another incident like the muggle zoo handlers to happen again. One time was far too plenty and too much of a dampener on his ego. Harry had gotten a good giggle out of the situation until Tom hanged him upside down and tickled him with a feather for several minutes.

On Harry's birthday, he received a letter from Gringotts. His request for a trial for his godfather was granted, though it wasn't like they could deny him anyway. It was his right as an Heir to an Ancient and Noble House. The trial was to be held on the fifth of August at two p.m., and Harry was to meet Head Goblin Ragnok in Gringotts an hour before then, to be escorted with the chosen solicitor to the trial.

Harry was glad that was able to dress like a boy. The next time the Head Goblin saw him, he wouldn't be wearing a dress and would actually look like a person and not a rag! It was great! To be a boy, in every sense of the word, was grand. Harry didn't have to wear those ugly hair clips his aunt foisted upon him. He burned the rags that barely passed for dresses and the shoes and undergarments. Trousers, something he hadn't worn in nearly seven years, had become something like a best friend to him.

He sighed happily and ignored Tom's confused look. "I'm being a boy, let me enjoy this moment."

The best birthday Harry ever had, even though compared to the others, anything would be considered the best. Though they didn't do much, just being able to lay on a comfortable bed, eating chocolate and reading a good book, was enough to make it amazing. Is all of his future birthdays could be the same, he would be floating on air. Tom was doing the same as he, without the chocolate part of course.

After the letter business, they went out into the Alley, bought some more books. Harry went to Fortescue's for some magical ice cream, not willing to ignore the opportunity to try something new. Once back inside his room, he perused the books he purchased and gaped at them. He was in five different history texts that claimed he was of the top twenty most powerful wizards in history, all because he somehow 'defeated' the former Dark Lord. He was right up there with Albus Dumbledore, who held first place in the European section of the book. Then came Harry and Voldemort. Harry before because he 'killed' the Dark Lord and 'deserved' to be in a higher position.

Seriously, they put a child who wasn't noted to have any magical training at all, in the top five of the list of most powerful witches and wizards in history! These people were bloody barmy!

Tom felt vaguely offended that the future him was listed beneath a child. Hell, Harry was offended upon Voldemort's behalf, even though the man didn't deserve it. But to be felled by a one year old baby, was just something you don't get over. Harry wouldn't be surprised if Voldemort tried to come after him once again, just for revenge. And if the man did so, what would Harry do?

On 5 August, 1991, Harry entered Gringotts with Loki wrapped tightly around his neck. So far, no one had found out that he was Harry Potter, which in turn was a very good thing. The fact that people got all excited when his name was even mentioned, spoke volumes of the hero-worship the wizarding world had developed for him. Creepy. He didn't want to see the extent of their fanning.

Head Goblin Ragnok introduced him to Ragnarok, who was the bank's best solicitor. He'd never lost a case. The Goblin looked surely, with a heard of black hair that was pulled back in a sharp manner, held down by some sort of product. His eyes were just as beady as all the other Goblin eyes Harry had seen.

The Goblin held a thick file between his gnarled fingers, and informed Harry that it held evidence of his godfather's innocence, lest the people still try and put Sirius Black away even after being proven innocent through the use of Veritaserum. The justice system wasn't always fighting for the right according to the Goblin.

The Ministry of Magic's Britain Branch was large and very well hidden, according to Ragnarok. Courtroom 2 was to be where the trial would be held. They had arrived twenty minutes early and from the looks of everything when they entered the room, they were just in time.

Harry looked at Ragnarok questioningly, since he knew the trial wasn't supposed to start for an hour at least. Ragnarok shook his head and Harry remained silent. Loki, didn't however. Ragnarok had insisted that they arrive early.

§ _ **That is illegal. Changing the time of a trial and not informing the solicitor and family of the defendant is punishable by up to five years in Azkaban,**_ § he hissed in Harry's ear.

The boy looked at Ragnarok with wide eyes and the Goblin nodded grimly.

"You are aware, Chief Warlock Dumbledore, that you have breached a very important law by not informing us of the time change?" Ragnarok began, voice almost a growl that shook Harry to his bones.

Harry looked up to the large podium, mindful of Loki hissing his hatred for the old man in his ear. He remembered the warning not to look said man in the eye as well.

The man was looking down at the Goblin and said in a haughty tone that grinded upon Harry's nerves, "Notification was sent out mere moments ago."

Ragnarok smiled darkly, "Yes, but if you were as well versed in the laws of wizards as I am, you would know that the letter must be sent four hours _prior_ to the time of the new trial, to give the solicitor and possible witnesses time to prepare. You did not do this, as you have just admitted to sending the letter only, ' _mere moments ago_ '."

Harry looked around at the assembly of people, who were all looking at the Dumbledore fellow with shocked gazes.

A stern looking woman sitting to Dumbledore's right, which would be Harry's right side, looked upon the man with a glare. Her enormous hat made her angular face look more severe than it should have been.

"As the Head Auror of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I order Chief Warlock Dumbledore to be removed from the courtroom. Headmaster Dumbledore is thereby stripped of his title as Chief Warlock, leaving the position open for vote, effective immediately."

Dumbledore was removed from the room and his fancy red robes were taken from him. The man who had been sitting on Dumbledore's right, which was Harry's left side, looked at the woman in annoyance. "Why didn't you just send him to Azkaban, Amelia?!"

"Minister Fudge, he would have found a way out of that. He always manages to get around such things with all of his titles. Therefore, I stripped him of one important title, taking some of his political reach and power instead. This will actually _affect_ him and is a suitable punishment."

Loki hissed in Harry's ear, § _ **She would have been a perfect Slytherin.**_ §

Minister Fudge was suddenly grinning like a ninny.

"Well then," the man began, fixing his robes, "who shall take over the position of Chief Warlock?"

One man stood, "I nominate Head Auror Bones."

Several people nodded and another man stood, "I second the motion."

Fudge looked around, "Anyone wish to challenge Madam Bones? No one? Well congratulations, Chief Warlock Amelia Bones!"

There was a round of polite applause and many people nodded to themselves.

The woman's robes changed in color and she was suddenly sitting in the big chair with the podium. She looked around for a moment, before sighing and straightening herself out.

Ragnarok was grinning like his birthday had come and someone had gifted him with gold. Apparently Dumbledore wasn't well liked by people.

Madam Bones took over and proceeded to read off a paper. Harry was escorted to one of the seats a little far from the Wizengamot, in order to watch. Ragnarok stayed standing in the middle of the room.

A moment later, a man with scraggly black hair was pushed into the room. Upon his wrists and ankles were thick chains and past the horrible striped prisoner garb he was wearing, Harry could see tattoos of all kinds. He was very dirty and Harry sneered at how neglectful the wizards were of their prisoners.

Something black caught his attention and he looked up to see black things, reminiscent of what the muggles called the Grim Reaper, were floating, separated by some invisible shield. He felt a trickle of fear run through him and a cold feeling trailed down his spine. Whatever they were, he didn't like them.

Loki answered his unvoiced question.

§ _ **Dementors. Most foul creatures known to exist. They can suck the soul from someone. When they are near, their surroundings freeze and they take away happiness, leaving someone with only their worst experiences in mind. Terrible creatures.**_ §

§ _ **Creepy,**_ § Harry whispered.

The trial began and Harry was so lost with what was going on. The woman asked a question, Sirius never spoke a word and just let Ragnarok do the talking. Talking that Harry struggled to keep up with.

Sirius was then given something to drink,  _potion_ , his mind supplied.

The questioning began in earnest and Harry realised that it was a truth serum. Veritaserum like Ragnok had informed him.

Sirius Orion Black, former Auror, current Lord of House Black.

Fudge had denied this fact, but Ragnarok stated that lordship cannot go to someone who is imprisoned of a crime they are guilty of. The Black Magic would know and since it was stated clearly on all of the Black House ledgers and files in Gringotts that Sirius was the new lord, that meant his family magic found him innocent. Many people had nodded along with this understanding, though Fudge didn't seem pleased.

More questions followed, which revealed that Sirius was never given a trial in the first place and that he hadn't killed any muggles or a man named Peter Pettigrew.

Fudge then tried to say that the Veritaserum was weakened and that Sirius was lying, but Madam Bones pointed out that he was the one to fetch the potion. He couldn't speak. Many weren't impressed by the Ministry's lack of action in Sirius's imprisonment.

Further proof of Sirius not betraying the Potters was presented when it stated very clearly in Sirius's file over vows, magical promises and commitments(that self updated whenever another was added to the list), that he was never the Secret Keeper for the Potters. Whatever a Secret Keeper was anyway.

This was then revealed to be Peter Pettigrew. Something about a Fidelius Charm was mentioned and Dumbledore's name came up again. Harry was left to be confused. He was eleven for goodness sake. One couldn't expect him to know everything about the court system and whatever it was that they were talking about!

Loki hissed in his ear, § _ **Dumbledore knew your godfather was innocent and left him to be imprisoned anyway.**_ §

So that was why he was brought up! Why would he let an innocent man go to jail?

§ _ **I may not be a saint, but Dumbledore is not a good man either,**_ § Loki hissed.

Harry had to agree. From everything he had learned of Dumbledore on his own, he did not like the man. And the real downer, was that he was going to be Harry's Headmaster. Oh joy…

Further discussions came and went, until something was put to a vote and a lot of hands went up.

"Lord Black is cleared of all charges. Please make sure St. Mungo's gives you a thorough examination."

Ragnarok turned to Harry and smiled a toothy grin.

Harry smiled back, knowing that Ragnarok had kept his record of no losses. Good for him. It also meant that he would get paid completely.

Sirius was still sitting in the chair he had been given. His shackles had disappeared but he was still unresponsive. Perhaps the shock of freedom was too much for him to handle.

An Auror nodded to Harry and promised to have Sirius looked after in the hospital and then escorted the stunned man from the room. Harry moved over to Ragnarok and gave him a brilliant grin, "Thank you for helping him."

"You are welcome. Not only did I succeed once more, but I also was able to get the Dumbledore fool to lose his power. A good day. The fellows will be pleased."

"If you just cut it and purchase some fake spectacles, you'll look just fine."

Harry gave Tom a horrified look. "Tom, I want to look like a  _boy_ , not a swot! Glasses wouldn't help in the least and would make me look terrible! And I'm not cutting my hair. A lot of other boys have long hair too in the wizarding world. Besides, I have nice hair. I never hated the hair, I hated having to wear dresses because of it. I don't have to be a girl now, so I can freely love my hair without remorse."

Tom's green eyes rolled and Harry sniffed imperiously.

After a moment, Tom said, "You still look feminine."

Harry retaliated by throwing a sharpened quill in his direction. It smacked him int he head. Served him right.

* * *

**A/N: Another one done!**

**Swot- British people don't have a term for 'nerd', but a 'swot' is someone who likes reading for fun, finishing homework early in order to go to the library, carries books around and usually have something on them that signifies that they are a swot. Some 90s slang. Like geeks and pocket protectors. Harry doesn't want to look like a swot.**

**How was it? Let me know.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry visits Sirius and gets a 'check up'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 13th August 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> *****NOTE***** Swot- Literal definition. Derived from old 19th century English. 1. Study assiduously. 2. A person who studies hard, especially one regarded as spending too much time studying. Usually has an example to show that they are a swot by how they act or what they wear.
> 
> Origin of 'swot'- English dialect, sweat, from Middle English swot, from Old English swāt. First Known Use: 1850 A.D.. Synonyms- bookworm, dink, dork, geek, grind, weenie, wonk etc…
> 
> It's literally 90s British slang that's rarely used today.
> 
> -Stone = British unit of measurement. 1 Stone equals 14 lbs. The Stone remains widely used in Great Britain and Ireland for human body weight: in those countries people may commonly be said to weigh, e.g., "11 stone 4" (11 stones and 4 pounds), rather than "72 kilograms" as in many other countries, or "158 pounds". -Wikipedia- So, Harry weighs 49 lbs and is 4 ft. tall. Normal 11 year old boys are somewhere between 70 and 80 lbs and between 4 ½ and 5 ft. tall at least. Let's just say, from what I found online, Harry's the size of a seven year old boy. Smaller than my 10 y/o sister who is 4'8" and weighs 81 lbs.
> 
> -'Padfoot' is a name given to a being found in British folklore. The black dog apparition, sometimes thought to be the devil or a hellhound, is regarded as the portent of death. In certain places in England, it is also known as, Barguist, Gytrash, Padfoot, The Grim, Shag, Trash, Striker, or Skriker.
> 
> Basically, James had a bad sense of humor.

****

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't on Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

Paddy.

That one word seemed to freeze every life-form in the room.

Harry and Loki had gone to St. Mungo's with one of the Aurors as their guide. In a pristinely white room on whatever floor they were on, Harry had already forgotten, he was introduced to Sirius Orion Black. Lord of House Black and former Auror if what the man who had escorted him, said was correct.

Loki hissed in his ear, § _ **Definitely a Black. Black hair and grey eyes are a recurring trait in that family. A lot of inbreeding as well. His parents were probably siblings or first cousins.**_ §

Harry's nose had wrinkled at that, but he wasn't going to judge. Apparently, such things were allowed in the magical world and Harry would need to learn about it sooner or later. Best to get out of his muggle way of thinking earlier on, than have everything crashing down on him and being unable to handle all the information. He might think it was gross, but he wasn't in the know so he couldn't form and informed opinion just yet.

Though he wasn't completely informed, Loki said he was too young for all the details yet, he understood that inbreeding was family members marrying and having children together. He really didn't need to know anything beyond that point. He didn't want to either. It wasn't imperative for him to know yet, so he could spend his time on more important pursuits for now.

So the man had stared at him for a good moment before calling him, 'Pup'. Harry stared right back and replied with something that just came to him suddenly, 'Paddy'.

Sirius's eyes went extremely wide and he whispered, "You remember! You used to call me that because you couldn't say, 'Padfoot'. It was so cute!"

The Auror escort snorted, "'Padfoot'? Really? I know your name is Sirius but you couldn't find a different myth or folklore legend to nickname yourself after?"

Sirius's grey eyes narrowed, "It was given to me by James Potter and I wouldn't change it for the world."

The man was suddenly looking uncomfortable and cleared his throat before looking away.

Sirius fixed his attention back to Harry and began asking questions. Where did he live? What friends did he have? Favourite color or food? What he did for fun? Have he ever flown on a broom? What was his opinion of Quidditch?

Harry grimaced and shared a look with Loki, who made a wave of his tail as if to say, 'go ahead and tell him'.

"I live with my mother's sister Petunia and her husband Vernon and son Dudley. I don't have friends, because Dudley lies about me to everybody and will beat anyone who doesn't believe him. People are too scared of him to get near me. I like green and black. I don't get enough food to really have a favourite dish. It's always the same type of bread and fruit. I just eat what I get so I don't starve. I don't have fun or time for it because I do chores all day long. I haven't heard of Quidditch and brooms look uncomfortable."

This not only got Sirius's attention, but also the Auror's.

" _What_?!" Sirius demanded. "You were sent to live with muggles?"

The Auror, whom Harry had no idea what his name was, also looked annoyed. "What did you mean by, 'bread and fruit' and not starving? Are your muggles poor and unable to feed you? If so, they should not be handling your care in the least."

Looki hissed, § _ **Tell them.**_ §

"They aren't poor, I'm just not allowed to eat unless I finish my chores and half the time I don't because the list is long. And if I accidentally do something 'freaky' which I only just learned is actually 'magic', I don't get food and I get locked in my cupboard."

"Just learned about magic?!"

"They lock you in a cupboard and don't feed you?!"

So both men got two completely different things from what Harry had said. Sirius looked horrified that he didn't know of his magic and the Auror didn't like the idea of the cupboard.

"Lord Black, I think we should get a Healer in here to check Mr. Potter. You would have to give the permission as he only legal guardian on the premises."

Sirius nodded and just watched Harry in confusion as the Auror went to fetch someone for whatever he had in mind.

§ ** _They're going to check your health,_** § Loki hissed to him, informing him of what was going on. § ** _You are not healthy and it is going to look really bad for a lot of people if you are not in perfect health._** §

A woman, short and stout, with a small bobbed silver haircut, bustled into the room with a clipboard in hand. Her wand firmly held in the other.

Harry was instructed to sit on a stool and to remove Loki, who hissed in annoyance, but slithered off the small boy's shoulders and onto Sirius's bed. Green eyes watched the woman's movements closely.

"Full name hun?"

"Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter."

The woman froze instantly and looked up to his forehead in shock. Harry moved his bangs aside, to show the annoying scar and her mouth dropped infinitesimally. She shook herself off and turned back to the board.

"Birthday?"

"The thirty-first of July, 1980, Madam."

She nodded and ran her wand, which started to glow green, over the length of his body. The parchment on her clipboard glowed the same color green and her eyes widened. She looked up at him and asked, "Could you explain your home life to me? And leave nothing out."

Harry's eyes strayed over to Loki, who nodded slightly and he sighed.

"My bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs. Three by five by four feet with a blanket and a pillow. I had it since I was four and only recently got them to give me Dudley's second bedroom. I was given my first chore list when I was five, the same time I was forced to begin gardening and cooking the meals. If I burned the food, didn't finish the chores, or the chores weren't done to my aunt's expectations, no food would be given and I'd be locked in the cupboard for a week without food, but still expected to do the chores and garden work."

Sirius made a strange growling noise that cut off after a look from the Auror. Both men looked irate however.

"When I was younger, my aunt realised my hair grew too fast and because she didn't want to the neighbors to think badly of her family, she forced me to dress like a girl, because I look like one. She bought me three grey dresses, one pair of undergarments and one pair of shoes four years ago. and hasn't purchased anything since, because I haven't grown much. I don't have a coat or anything like that.

"I've never celebrated my birthday, or any other muggle holiday like Christmas, or Yule as magicals call it. Until recently, I'd never had anything new, it was always someone's cast offs and hand me downs. Never a gift or a toy to play with. My cousin was spoiled though and got everything he wanted."

The Healer tsked as her quill set to writing down everything he said. She was looking over his wrists as he spoke, shaking her heads every now and then.

"They did not tell me that the 'funny business' and 'freaky things' I did, were magic. I had to find out on my own. They told me my parents died in a car crash because they were drunkards and I was foisted upon them without permission. I was told I was a freak and unwanted and they made sure to tell me all the time that I was worthless.

"Rarely did I get hit though. Mostly, it was no food and being locked in a dark cupboard. My cousin was the one to beat me up and my aunt never did a thing to help me, because she didn't care. None of them did."

Sirius was being restrained by the Auror by the time Harry had finished regaling them the tale of his life, and the woman was gaping in mortification.

"Are you positive you aren't embellishing just a tad?" the Auror asked as he struggled to old Sirius down.

Harry turned his confused gaze to Loki who hissed, § _ **Are you overreacting?**_ § he queried more clearly.

Harry shook his head, "No. It's all truth. They never hit me though."

The medi-witch looked down at her clipboard and sighed, "I'm rather inclined to believe you, young man. Normal eleven year olds aren't four feet tall and only weigh 3 ½ Stone."

She sighed, "They also aren't so thin with their ribs so easily seen. The diagnostic test I took shows malnutrition and a history of untreated broken bones that have healed incorrectly. Are you sure they didn't hit you?"

Harry nodded, "They let their son do it. I don't think Petunia has it in her to be physically violent."

When Sirius's struggles became too much, the Auror stunned him and he fell back onto the bed, unmoving.

"How did you find out about your magic? It shows consistent use of it over the course of your life, but you said you only just learned of it."

Harry shrugged, "I just learned that what I was  _doing_ , was called magic. I've just been able to make things happens ever since I was young. Turning my teacher's hair blue, wanting a room clean and suddenly the cleaning products are moving on their own and doing my chores for me, wanting something someone is eating and having it appear in my hands and even appearing on top of my school about a mile from where I had been previously. A little before I got my letter, I set a snake free by making the glass of its tank disappear at the zoo. And then I learned of magic and I decided I would try to control it. When I could sort of control it, I…"

Harry stopped suddenly, not knowing if he should tell the adults what he did to his 'family'. He gave the man his most award winning grin instead.

The Auror seemed intrigued, "You... _what_?"

"Uh... I may or  _may not_  have frozen my relatives in place and threatened to burn their house to the ground with my magic if they didn't give me a real bedroom, feed me like their son was fed, let me stop doing chores, and take me to Diagon Alley," he answered, flushing when the man's eyes went wide.

"Are they still frozen?"

Harry shook his head, "No. They're fine, at least they should be. It was three weeks later that I decided to stay in Diagon Alley until school began. Nearing the end of July actually. If they aren't fine, I have nothing to do with it."

The medi-witch was still gaping. "I'm shocked that you have such command over your magic, before even having a wand."

Harry shrugged, "I've been practicing the spells in my school texts without a wand. It isn't that hard. I just know how my magic feels."

"Well then…" the Auror shrugged and made a face, causing the medi-witch to giggle. Harry was left in wonderment, not understanding what was so funny.

"Well Mr. Potter, I have to recommend you some nutrient potions and Skele-Gro to fix all those improperly aligned bones and fractures along your skeleton."

" _ **Skele-Gro is disgusting! Good luck,**_ § Loki hissed, shaking his head.

Harry's eyes bugged, "Is this going to hurt?"

Her lips pursed, "Possibly."

"Bugger."

The Auror snorted.

"Yes well, I can give you a Sleeping Draught that won't affect the potion in any way. The process should be finished after a full night of sleep."

Harry nodded, still skeptical of the whole possible pain part of it all. Loki seemed to pity him and that wasn't good.

The rest of Harry's visit was spent trying to reassure Sirius that he was fine. The Auror also stated that he was going to bring up Harry's treatment at the Dursley's whom he was informed that Harry was placed with by Dumbledore, his former Magical Guardian, to the Head Auror. Harry remembered her and was sure that she wouldn't be happy.

Harry got to know Sirius a little better once the man calmed down with a potion. He knew a lot about Harry's parents and told him stories of how great a friend his father was and how beautiful and smart his mother was. For once, Harry felt like he could connect something good to his parents. It was nice, knowing that in reality, they were good people who fought hard to protect him and loved him. It was obvious with how Sirius spoke of them, that they were all close friends and the man's grey eyes shone with joy as he recounted random pranks and mischief he and James Potter had gotten into together with their friend Remus. Peter was not considered a friend any longer, after being outed as a backstabber.

Loki was shocked to hear that Sirius broke the mold of the Black family by being sorted into Gryffindor. Sirius told him he wouldn't mind it if Harry was sorted into Slytherin. So long as Harry wasn't a Hufflepuff, he would be okay with any other House.

Seriously, Hufflepuff was House no one seemed to want. He wondered what sort of people ended up in such a House.

By the time Harry left, it was dark out and he had spent a majority of his day with his godfather, whom he was going to be visiting at least three times a week, with Loki's permission of course. He couldn't just throw away his studying and all.

Once they retired to their room in the Leaky Cauldron after eating dinner downstairs, Tom had Harry take his potions. The poor boy choked on the Skele-Gro. It had burned his esophagus as it went down and tasted horrible. The Sleeping Draught wasn't any better to be honest.

Harry passed out into peaceful obliviousness after such a long day and could only wonder what sort of work Tom was going to put him through the next day.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be too hard. Tom wasn't that mean?

Was he?

* * *

**A/N: Another one done!**

**How was it? Let me know.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHECK OUT MY MANY OTHER HARRYMORT/TOMARRY FICS!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised 13th August 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised 12th May 2017.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry is at a 3rd year's level. Don't hate me. Extra long, by a lot. This chapter is over 8,300 words. Took a day and a half to type. :)

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

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Tom was a bloody git, nothing else to say about it. He made up this intricate exam that he claimed was on par with the O.W.L.s and made poor Harry take it. It was so difficult, Harry wanted to rip his hair out in frustration. He didn't know anything about Magical Transmutation and Spinotism Morphia and the fact that Tom had put such questions on his mock exam, proved that he was evil to the core.

When it was all said and done with, Tom took the multiple paged exam and graded it in one sitting, leaving Harry to sit worriedly on his bed as he waited for the bad news. Sure, he knew the first year curriculum easily, but O.W.L.s were taken by fifth year students and there was no way Harry knew that much after only a month and a few days of studying. He didn't understand why he had to take such an exam, but Tom hadn't been wrong yet so he wouldn't verbally complain. Mentally was a whole other idea though.

The look Tom sent him when he finished, made him wary. His palms were sweating badly and he tried to surreptitiously wipe them on his trousers. The teen sat back in his wooden chair and elegantly crossed his right leg over his left. Dark green eyes bore into Harry's and the boy could feel his heart just racing to get away. Tom was not appreciative of bad grades and the punishment for doing 'not well' was extra work, which he didn't want to do. School was starting soon after all and he'd get to do extra work then.

"According to your results," Tom began, glancing at the paper blandly, "you are caught up to a third year's intelligence level. I must admit to being impressed that you made it this far in such a limited time frame. I truly didn't expect you to make even  _half_ of a second year's expected knowledge level. Congratulations."

Harry sat in the silence for a moment as his mind decided to take its time in discerning Tom's words. When he finally caught up to the teen's thought process, he gaped openly.

"I did  _good_?"

Tom nodded, looking over the collection of papers without expression.

"You gave me a big test that you didn't even think I'd do well on?" Harry asked incredulously.

"I wanted to know if you could handle it," Tom shrugged. "You can. But do not for a moment assume that you may slacken your studies. There will always be new information to absorb and you must be prepared to assimilate all that you can manage. Where there is knowledge, there is power. Knowledge  _is_ power. Some do not find knowledge worthwhile, just as some fear that knowledge may bring forth evil. Know this Hadrian, ' _there is no good or evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it_ '."

Harry frowned, "But if there's no good or evil, what do you call Voldemort?"

Tom looked ready to answer, but paused and hummed. "Misguided, twisted, and mad. His actions are the result of many mistakes in life. According to the Head Goblin, he is the way he is because he is insane. Would he be the same if he hadn't done such things to his soul? I guess you could call him  _evil_ after everything he's done. Though  _evil_ has many synonyms that could be used instead. Wicked, immoral, foul, fiendish, diabolical, monstrous and so many other terms appropriately suited to the ' _creature'_ he has become. Truthfully, I do not know what to classify my future self as."

Harry shrugged and looked out the small window. "Who is to judge what is 'good' or what is 'evil'? What if everything people believe about the words, is actually false? Our experiences shape our opinion because they're subjective."

Tom stared at the young boy for a moment before shaking his head quickly. He then said, as a statement meant to stop the conversation, "I believe you are too young to be waxing philosophical. Please return to this line of discussion in a few years when your age better matches the excessively confusing inquiries you are sending my way."

Harry snorted but didn't drop it for the time being.

 

Harry pushed his trolley toward the train before him. It was large and scarlet in color. Families bustled about the Platform.  **Platform 9 ¾** , interestingly enough. The method to getting onto the Platform was also interesting. Running through the wall between Platforms nine and ten. When Loki had told him of this method, he stared at the snake for a solid moment, contemplating whether he had gone barmy, he was having the poor boy on, or if he could possibly be serious. The snake did not find insult in Harry's skepticism and repeated his words firmly, until Harry finally decided to do it.

It wasn't like anyone could blame him though. Running into a wall to get onto a magical platform. Sounds legit. Yet at the same time, were there other ways to get to the train, or was this literally the way everyone had to go?

Once he got through the barrier, which he was shocked that none of the muggles noticed people disappearing into the wall at all, he was able to take in his surroundings. He took the chance to push his trolley to the side, to get out of the way of other people coming through the barrier. He didn't want to be bowled over.

A was staring at a large scarlet steam engine that was currently surrounded by families and station workers loading luggage onto the train. Above his head was a sign.  **Hogwarts Express**. It was cool.

§ _ **Best you get on toward the back. When the train reaches the station, the compartments in the back are closer to the school,**_ § Loki advised, making Harry nod. A sound strategy. He wondered how long it had taken Loki to realise that himself.

The boy went through the motions of giving over his luggage and ticket, before boarding the large vehicle that was used yearly as a conveyance of the students to Hogwarts. He was then able to find a nice compartment toward the back.

Harry's small carry on item was a bag that held a book he planned to finish during the ride.  **Hogwarts: A History**. According to Loki, Professor Binns was hopeless and if he wished to do good in History of Magic, he'd have to know the book intimately. Otherwise he'd only know about Goblin Wars. It was a good thing that Tom had taken such an interest in Harry's education, because where would Harry be otherwise?

There was some money in his pocket for the trolley. He liked sweets and intended to get one of everything.

He was already dressed in his uniform and over his shoulder was his robes for later. Temperature charms were a lot more difficult when paired with certain fabrics. The fabric used for his school uniform wasn't very compatible with charms, so he wasn't going to overheat himself unnecessarily. At least until he could force his magic to make the charms work.

A glance out the window, showed a large family. All of them were redheads. The mother, he assumed, was patting every child over and speaking frantically. There was a daughter, smaller and obviously not Hogwarts age yet. Then a boy with a bright red face. After him were two identical twins, grinning at the younger boy evilly. Finally there was the older brother, looking serious and stern even as his mother ruined the picture by pressing kisses to his cheeks, making him flush.

The little girl said something and the mother shook her head, making her lips turn down in a pout. The oldest, with the golden ' **P** ' on his robes, said something and the twins rolled their eyes, saying something in alternate timing. The older brother flushed and the mother cuffed the twins over the back of their heads. It wasn't done harshly though, Harry could tell. And from the grins the twins were wearing, they knew it too.

"I wonder if that is what normal families are like," he mumbled to himself.

Loki seemed to shrug, § _ **I wouldn't be the one to come to.**_ §

That was sad. The fact that both of them never had a proper example of a family and were orphans. Harry looked at Loki and asked, § _ **Did you ever wonder what it was like to have a family, or am I just pathetic for thinking of it so often?**_ §

§ _ **It isn't pathetic,**_ § Loki disagreed. § _ **And yes I have. I just don't want to think of things that aren't going to ever happen.**_ §

Harry nodded and turned to stare out the window, noticing that the family was now gone.

The compartment door opened suddenly and Harry looked over, immediately assessing whoever was entering his space.

It was the twins.

"Well look at that Forge! A little firstie!" the one on he left said, elbowing his brother.

The one who received the elbow, grinned, "A  _really little firstie_  I'd say, Gred."

'Gred' nodded, "Yeah." He then looked Harry in the eye and asked, "Aren't you a little  _too_   _little_ to be here?"

Harry frowned, annoyed that he was so bloody short because of the malnutrition. "I'm eleven," he answered briefly.

The twins looked at each other and shrugged.

The one who was known as 'Gred' raised a hand and said, "I'm George Weasley."

The other, 'Forge' smiled then, "And I'm Fred Weasley."

They both gave Harry a bow. " _ **We are pleased to meet you, littlest firstie,**_ " they chorused.

Harry nodded, sharing look with Loki, who seemed interested enough in the twins to slither out of Harry's jumper.

The twin's gaped. "Big snake," Fred said.

"Little firstie  _with_ big snake," added George.

They grinned even wider, " _ **Wicked.**_ "

Harry smiled at the boys when Loki hissed that he liked them. "I'm James Evans."

"A little Muggleborn!" George cheered.

Fred nodded but fixed Harry with a look, "Be glad our dad wasn't here today, he'd probably bombard you with questions about the muggle world."

George nodded in agreement, "I reckon that he would too. There's no escaping him and his love for muggles."

Another boy came up behind the twins, who were still standing in the doorway. He was dark skinned and in his hands was a large black spider. Tarantula. Its body was almost five inches long and its legs were even longer. Harry's nose wrinkled at the sight of it. It was hideous.

Loki hissed, drawing the attention for the new boy.

"It that a Python?" the new boy asked.

Harry nodded, "Burmese Python to be exact."

"Cool. Good to know I'm not the only one breaking the pet rule. I'm Lee Jordan and I hope to see you in Gryffindor."

"James Evans. Technically I consider Loki a friend not a pet, so the rule doesn't apply to me."

The three older boys smirked then.

" _ **Loophole,**_ " the twins chorused.

Lee nodded, "You might just be a Slytherin. But you seem like an alright bloke, so being in Slytherin won't be so bad."

Harry nodded. After a few more moments of small talk, the three older boys moved on to their own compartment, wishing him luck and hoping he'd make Gryffindor like them.

Harry took the chance to place his robes on quickly, wanting to just sit and read throughout the train ride.

Loki took his usual space around the boy's shoulders and they waited out the time.

The train's whistle blew and then it was in motion.

Several long minutes of reading passed, before Harry's solitude was once again interrupted. This time, by a boy with dirty blonde hair that looked dark when the light hit it a certain way and then light if the light hit it another way. He still had baby fat around his cheeks, but otherwise looked like a normal eleven year old should. He seemed very nervous.

"H-hi. S-sorry to b-bother you, b-but have you s-seen a toad?"

His voice was shaking and he looked near ready to faint. Poor kid.

"No, sorry," Harry shook his head. He then got an idea. "What's its name?"

"Trevor," the boy answered, shoulders drooping.

Harry stood, taking note of how much smaller he was than the other boy. How embarrassing.

He pulled the boy into the corridor of the train and grabbed his hands, holding them up like a catcher ready to catch a baseball. Keeping his right hand on the boy's own right hand, he intoned, " _Accio_  Trevor the toad." Thank goodness Tom told him the actual spell. It was more effective when you could be more specific.

There was a loud squeal from somewhere down the corridor before both boys noticed a small green mass coming toward them. The blonde was able to catch the croaking creature and gave Harry a thankful look.

"I was so worried about him, thank you. I'm Neville Longbottom."

Harry pulled the boy into the compartment and closed the door. "Nice to meet you Neville. I'm James Evans." Harry's eyes got serious, "Can you keep a secret?"

"I'd have no one to tell," the boy mumbled.

The revelation twisted Harry's heart. Before Tom, he had no one to tell as well. That was it. Neville Longbottom would be his friend.

The dark haired boy looked toward the boy and leaned in close to whisper, "I've been telling everyone my name is James Evans, but I'm really Harry Potter."

Neville gasped, "Why would you hide it?"

Harry sat down, tugging Neville to the seat across from him. "People are really weird when my name is mentioned. I only  _just learned_  of the magical world in June and once I found out what happened to make me so famous, I have been going by my middle names, so that I don't get mauled by fans."

Neville nodded slowly, still blinking over the revelation. Harry smiled encouragingly at him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I expected you to be a lot  _bigger_ ," Neville murmured, looking Harry over.

Harry sighed, obviously this was going to be a big point with people. "The medi-witch at St. Mungo's said something about undernourishment and improperly healed broken bones. Apparently whatever my muggle relatives did to me, isn't very good. They never hit me! They just forced child labor, didn't let me eat and made me sleep in a cupboard," he insisted when Neville's face became horrified.

"It's great they didn't hit you, but that doesn't mean the other things are any better, you know that right?" Neville asked, looking worried. "You're too small and that's not good for you health. Do you have potions to take?"

Harry nodded, touched at Neville's concern. It was nice to have people worry about him. First Tom, then Sirius and now Neville. "I have a whole section in my trunk that holds them for me. I have a lot to take for the next few months. They taste gross."

Neville cracked a smile. "What House do you want to be in?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't really care, but everyone I meet seems to have a dislike for Hufflepuff, so I guess I don't want to be there. You?"

"Gryffindor. My parents were Gryffindors and I want to live up to their memory."

Harry's small smile dropped, "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"They're still alive!" Neville interrupted quickly, waving his free hand. "They're just in the Janus Thickey Ward and St. Mungo's."

Loki hissed, quickly explaining what Harry didn't understand. § _ **That ward is meant for people who have suffered severe, permanent ,mind altering illnesses, obliviates or  those have suffered under an Unforgivable Curse. They can't be healed and there is no known method to cure them.**_ §

Pity rose up in Harry like a newly dug well that hit water. Poor Neville.

"Do you, mind if I ask what happened?"

Neville smiled sadly, "Not too long after You-Know-Who was defeated by you, his followers came to my home. My parents were captured and tortured under the Cruciatus Curse for hours. Though the Death Eaters were caught and imprisoned, the damage was extensive and couldn't be healed. My parents are considered 'insane' and 'unable to live in society'. They don't recognize me. Although, mum seems to understand that I'm someone important to her and gives me gifts when I visit her. They're just gum wrappers and to other people they may seem ridiculous for gifts, but I treasure them dearly…" He trailed off, eyes becoming watery as he looked out the window at the passing landscape.

§ _ **The poor child,**_ § Loki hissed morosely, making Neville jump a tad when he slithered closer to get a good look at him.

Harry didn't know which was worse. Growing up under the misconception that your parents died in car crash and weren't even respectable people or growing up with living parents whom you knew couldn't understand you and didn't know who you were. If he would have to choose, he'd say that Neville's situation was far worse than his own. Much worse.

He didn't really know what to say, so he opted for, "I think it's sweet that you keep them. And why should you care what people think anyway? She's your mum, not theirs."

Neville stared for a moment, before grinning, "Thanks, Harry."

After an hour of just talking, an old woman with a smile full of dimples opened their compartment door and smiled kindly at them. "Anything off the trolley dears? The first stop too mind you, first pick of everything."

Harry's gaze sharpened, landing on the trolley outside the door. He looked at Neville and asked "Want anything? My treat."

"Oh you don't have to-"

"We're friends, Neville, and I want to get you something to commemorate the occasion," Harry insisted, already leaving the compartment to check what was available to purchase.

Neville smiled again and followed him into the corridor.

"One of everything please!" said Harry as he held up his money purse.

After several moments of choosing what the wanted, Harry paid the woman ten Galleons, they got  _a lot of sweets_ , and they returned to their seats.

They were joined about two hours later by a bushy haired girl with front teeth a little larger than normal, but not overly obvious. Her eyes matched the brown of her hair and she was exceedingly pale skinned. She was already dressed in her robes much like Neville and Harry were.

"May I sit with you? Some people were very rude to me and kicked me out of my compartment. Thankfully I was able to grab my bag before the locked me out."

The boys shared a look and nodded to her. She smiled gratefully and sat down beside Neville, placing her brown satchel on the floor beside her feet.

"I'm Hermione Granger."

"Neville Longbottom."

"Harry Potter. I know I'm in a lot of books for something that I don't remember."

Her eyes went wide, "Have either of you read your school books yet?"

Harry nodded and Neville raised his hand, moving it around in a motion that universally meant, 'a little'. She smiled, "I have as well. I find it all absolutely fascinating. When Professor McGonagall came to my House to deliver my letter, I was so shocked. My parents were so happy too. I've been smarter than others my age for years and people made fun of my intelligence, calling me names and all. Then there was the list of strange things I always did that couldn't be explained. We were so happy to hear that I wasn't a problem child and that I wasn't a freak."

Harry winced at the word 'freak', knowing what it was like to be though of as one. He hated feeling worthless.

Neville's head tilted, "So you're a Muggleborn, then?"

She nodded.

"I'm a Pureblood, but I don't really care about the whole blood purity bit. Especially since I'm nearly a Squib."

Hermione looked confused, so he elaborated, "A Pureblood born without magic. To tell you the truth, my first bout of accidental magic happened only last year. My uncle had been trying to get me to do something for years with nothing to show for it. He then dropped me out a window and luckily I bounced when I landed and bounced all the way down the lane. It was horrible, but Gran was finally happy over something, so I guess it's alright. What he did and all."

Hermione and Harry shared a horrified look. Neither of them thought dropping a child out of a window was 'alright', no matter if the results made someone happy or not.

Their conversation was further halted by the appearance of two girls.

"Can we sit with you? Slytherins kicked us out of our compartment along with the others." asked the red haired girl. The blond was nodding quickly, looking at the floor.

Harry moved his remaining sweets over to the small sill by the window and gestured to the seat beside him. "Not at all."

"I'm Susan Bones," the redhead introduced as she sat. "This is Hannah Abbot."

"Hermione Granger."

"Neville Longbottom."

"Harry Potter. Are you possibly related to Madam Bones? The Head Auror for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

Susan's eyebrows shot upward and she nodded. "She's my aunt. I was named for her."

"Cool."

 

The first years were lead from Hogsmeade Station by a large man dressed in a dark brown coat. They walked or a while until he brought them to a cluster of boats at the end of the trail and ordered 'no more than four a boat'. Hannah and Susan took the boat beside Harry, Hermione and Neville's, in order to remain close together. The youngest Weasley boy was the fourth person in their boat.

Once everyone was situated, the boats began to move on their own and the little lanterns attached to the boats, lit the water up slightly.

Across the lake, sitting upon a large hill, was Hogwarts. The lights from the lit torches made it stand out against the night sky. The full moon illuminating it from behind. It was brilliant. There were turrets, battlements, a viaduct and courtyards if he could see properly in the darkness. It was better than  **Hogwarts: A History**  claimed it was.

Upon reaching the boathouse, they shuffled out and got in an almost single file line as the marched up the long and winding staircase leading up the large rocky cliff. It was lit by torches.

The big man in the brown coat led them into the main building. No one made a sound as they moved, too stunned to truly think of anything to say.

Their procession was stopped in front of a large oaken door and the man raised his fist and knocked three times. It swung open to reveal a salt and pepper haired witch in hunter green dress robes and a tall, pointed witch hat.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the man announced.

She gave a small smile and nodded, "Thank you, Hagrid. I shall see to them from here on out."

He nodded and waved to the first years before traipsing into the castle.

The woman stood sternly and introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She gave a brief explanation of the Houses, the Sorting and the point system. She asked them to wait in the entrance hall until she came back to fetch them and so the first years turned to each other and got acquainted. Well, those who weren't already familiar with one another.

Harry and his small group stayed together. The girls learned quickly about why he was so small and proceeded to pet this hair and coo at him for having to live with such horrible people. Harry didn't understand, but also didn't say anything. He didn't understand girls well enough yet.

Loki was currently inside his robes, hissing to himself about missing Hogwarts, his home, and wishing he were young again. Harry very nearly rolled his eyes, since Loki was still considered to be very young indeed.

There was a scream and a look over showed several silver objects floating through the walls. No, not objects. People! Ghosts.

Several ghosts floated around the room now and some even went through the new students, making them shriek in fright.

"I read that each House has a ghost representative," Hermione stated looking around and not scared in the least at what she saw. Others didn't share the feelings, as most were clutching each other in terror.

Harry nodded along with her, "Yes. I should very much like to meet them."

One curly haired ghost floated closer to their group and tilted his head, "Hello."

They all waved in return. "I'm Sir Nicholas and I am Gryffindor's House Ghost. Hope to see you there!"

He moved along to another group.

Hannah asked in a subdued voice, "Who was that?"

Harry answered, surprising them all. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Known as 'Nearly Headless Nick' to the students. He performed some magic many years ago that had a backlash of negative proportions. He was arrested by muggles and executed, but the blade was dull and it took forty-five chops to finally kill him. However, there is still a bit of skin connected and that's why they call him, 'Nearly Headless Nick'."

Tom had told him that story. It wasn't in many books.

The girls and Neville looked ready to be ill.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw the blonde boy from Diagon Alley, Draco, if he recalled correctly, making his way over to them.

"Aren't you too young to be here, little girl?" the blonde asked him, looking him over and catching sight of his hair, which had been pulled back into a low ponytail.

Was everyone seriously going to harp to him about his height? It was getting redundant and fast.

"I'm eleven," he answered. "And I'm a boy. It's called being androgynous, if you  _must_ know," he sniffed, miffed that people kept mistaking him for a girl, even though he was dressed as a boy.

The blonde stared at him, not even bothering to look at anyone else. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

Loki hissed lowly from beneath his robes, § _ **Get on his good side. Or at least stay off his bad side.**_ §

Harry took the offered hand and shook it lightly, "Hadrian."

"No last name?"

"You'll find out soon, won't you?" he countered with a smirk.

Draco returned the expression and shrugged, "I suppose. Until then."

He walked away, ignoring everyone as he went.

Harry looked at his new friends and said, "I have no idea what they was about."

After a few more moments of waiting, McGonagall came back and led them further into the building. When they reached a pair of double doors, she didn't pause and just continued on, the doors opening right up without help. Magic.

The Great Hall was large, with four tables taking up most of the space. In the back of the room was another table, turned perpendicular to the four tables. Behind it, sat what he assumed to be the professors. Dumbledore was in the center, sitting on a very throne like chair himself.

Harry got the distinct impression that the man thought too highly of himself all because he defeated a Dark Lord in the past.

High above the room was the enchanted ceiling that looked like the night sky. Floating a little below it were hundreds of lit candles. Lining the walls were torches of many sizes all filled with little flames.

McGonagall led them down the center aisle. As they walked, Harry noticed that every student was wearing a pointed hat. The ones that had been on the list. He wonder how often they'd have to wear hem. They weren't fashion compliant, not that he knew much about fashion.

They were instructed to waited along the landing, in front of a wooden stool that had a wrinkled old hat on it. That hat began to sing!

Though he found the poetry nice and explanatory, the hat's voice was lacking...a lot.

Not once did the question of why a hat even had a voice, cross his mind.

Once it finished, McGonagall began calling names in backwards alphabetical order. The first person, Zabini Blaise, went to Slytherin. Weasley Ronald went to Gryffindor. Turpin Lisa was sorted to Ravenclaw. Thomas Dean went with Ronald. Right after him, came Harry's name.

"Potter, Harry!"

Whispering began and Neville sent him a sympathetic look. He nodded sadly, annoyed with the gossip already. The small boy stepped forward, ears twitching at the multitude of gasps that reached him from all over the room. He wasn't what people had expected. No messy hair. No glasses and too bloody short to look like he belonged.

He ignored everyone's blatant staring and sat upon the stool comfortably, though he was annoyed to note that his feet dangled at least a foot off the ground. He sighed almost inaudibly, hating his lack of height.

**Well, well, well. I haven't been in a head like yours in fifty years. And you even personally know of whom I speak, how interesting.**

Harry's heart jumped at the unexpected voice. In his head. He wasn't expecting that.

**Ambition, intelligence along with some assistance. Worry not, I shall never reveal a student's secrets to another soul. Loyalty and bravery to boot. Why, you could fit any Hogwarts House. How rare.**

Harry knew that for sure. People normally didn't have all qualities of the four Houses. Of course he had to be the odd one out, right?

**Honestly, I cannot decide on where to put you, because any House would you justice. I'll let you choose.**

Did that Hat let people choose before? Harry really wanted to have a talk with it, but he had a feeling he'd been sitting up there too long. People were beginning to point, which he found rude.

_I think you know which House I want._

**Indeed. You'll do very well in,** "SLYTHERIN!"

The last word was yelled for the whole Hall to hear and Harry managed to slip off the stool without hurting himself. He placed the hat on the wooden seat and moved over to the green table. On the way, he noticed the inner lining of his robes turned green. Cool.

He sat down a few inches away from the Blaise boy, ignoring the fact that the entire Hall was silent. After a moment more of quiet, McGonagall continued on with the list. Malfoy joined him, sitting to his left and staring at him in awe as more names were called.

"You're Harry Potter," he mumbled.

"Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter," Harry amended softly.

A few more students and Neville went to Gryffindor with a relieved look. Harry smiled from across the Hall and the boy returned the look.

Hermione was up next and her result, shocked the Hall into silence.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Harry's eyes went wide as he tried to discern how she managed to get into the House. She smiled and took her seat opposite Harry, who was staring at her like a puzzle to be figured out.

"What?"

"I'm just wondering, did you insist to be put here, or did the hat tell you you would become great if you were here?"

Hermione flushed, "The House rivalry thing doesn't interest me, because I wouldn't let such foolish things hinder my studies not matter what. I could be in any House as the hat had told me, but I asked to bet placed with you."

Harry nodded, "I can see it. Cunning, ambition, resourcefulness, leadership, cleverness, power, determination and self-preservation are all traits the make a Slytherin and you have it all. Yes you will fit in here, maybe not at first just because you aren't Pureblooded, but eventually. Not like blood matters anyway."

Hermione was still flushed, but she nodded in gratitude.

The Sorting continued until Hannah and Susan were placed Hufflepuff. Harry didn't think about them any differently because of it though. They were very nice girls after all.

Dumbledore stood and gave a small speech on the boundaries over the school and some rules. He then began the feast, in which food magically appeared on the four long tables. Harry knew, because Tom had told him, that the tables were connected to the ones in the kitchens and that was how the food would appear. Ingenious.

Hermione was staring at the Headmaster, a look of confusion on her face. "Several books say that Dumbledore is a great and powerful wizard, but it's difficult to believe since he looks so...ancient."

Loki hissed from beneath his robes, § _ **He isn't powerful.**_ §

Harry nodded along with both of their statements and added, "He's not all that great either."

Hermione frowned and asked, "Why?"

Harry shrugged, deliberately ignoring the students close enough to listen in. "He was supposedly my Magical Guardian, but I had never met him before. I only found out about magic when I received my Hogwarts letter. Then all of the odd things I've done in my life finally made sense to me. My muggle relatives never told me I was magical, because my aunt was my muggleborn mother's sister and she was jealous over not being born with magic. So she took her jealousy out on me and never told me why I was treated so terribly."

He was conscious of the fact that several people were gaping at him, but he didn't care. He'd come to grips with it a while ago and preferred not to dwell on it too much. He may become bitter that way.

Hermione was offended upon his behalf, which he found rather sweet. She huffed, "I wish you didn't have to go back to such people. Locking you in a dark room and refusing to feed you, making you so unhealthy and sick looking. And horrible treatment without explanation as to why."

The boy let it roll off his back as he bit into a warm croissant.

Malfoy decided to speak then, turning his attention to Harry. "How is it that a Potter made it into Slytherin?"

Harry turned to him and said, "My father's mother was a Slytherin. She married into the Potter family but was still a Slytherin. Her entire family was sorted into Slytherin, that is, until my godfather Sirius broke the mold and went to Gryffindor."

Draco's mouth dropped, "You're a Black? I'm a Black, through my mother."

Harry smiled, "Look at that, you're a distant cousin of mine."

Blaise decided to ask, "Did the muggles really abuse you?"

"I don't call it abuse, because they never hit me. I just call it neglect," Harry answered with a shrug.

Hermione's brown hair shook from side to side with her head. "You are too nonchalant about it. It's not a joking matter, Harry. This is bad."

"I know. I just don't want people to worry, since I know it could have gotten even worse and it didn't. When I learned of my magic, I tried a few things out and when they worked, I threatened them into giving me food and a real bedroom or else I'd burn their house down with magic and suddenly, they were waiting on me hand and foot. So even if I have to go back they won't do anything because I proved that I was capable of levitating them and pinning them to the wall, for an undetermined amount of time. They don't want my 'freakishness' to infect them, so it's all good now."

Hermione giggled into her hand, "Is that how they let you have a snake?"

Loki popped out of his robes at the mention of his existence, making Blaise and Draco jerk away from him a bit. Harry smirked, "Maybe."

He then looked to his sides, where the boys were staring at the small snake sticking out of his collar. "This is Loki. I shrank him to fit better and he's rather harmless, so you don't have to worry about him attacking you."

Once again, Loki began hissing at how Harry was insulting his terrifying visage and the boy just ignored his ramblings.

"Snakes aren't exactly tamable. There's no way to determine is it won't turn on you at some point," Blaise pointed.

"Loki and I have a very close bond. He's a special snake."

"Like a familiar? You understand each other because of the bond?" Draco asked, raised hackles seeming to disappear as he leaned into the shrunken serpent to get a better look.

"Sort of. I just understand him," Harry threw that out there, wondering how they'd handle the information.

Hermione understood his meaning first and gasped. "You're a Parselmouth!" she breathed in awe.

Loki turned to him and if snakes could cock eyebrows, he'd be doing it. § _ **Good luck with that revelation. I wasn't expecting you to admit to it so early on though.**_ §

Harry shrugged and retorted, § _ **What's life without a little mischief?**_ §

§ _ **You do know that it will be all over the wizarding world now, right?**_ §

§ _ **Yes.**_ §

§ _ **So long as you know the risk,**_ § Loki relented.

Harry continued to eat, despite the fact that everyone without hearing distance had witnessed him speaking the snake language with Loki. People were gaping at him and several Slytherins were choking on their food and reaching for their goblets.

Loki looked around and shook his head, § _ **How disappointing. Slytherins in my day would never be caught doing such things. How obvious must they be?**_ §

The meal carried on. Hermione and Harry spoke mostly to each other, not really comfortable with the other Slytherin students yet. Though Draco and Blaise were a lot better than others and had yet to mock them on their blood status.

When the Houses were dismissed, Harry was summoned to Professor Snape's office, who was the Head of Slytherin House. Loki was waiting to see if he was better than some man named Slughorn. Harry wasn't really interested enough to ask about it.

The Prefect who led him there was silent and left as soon as they arrived. Snape was a dark, dour man with a very unpleasant countenance. He looked the very definition of 'mean teacher'. He was also standing beside his desk, glaring viciously at the boy, though Harry didn't know what his issue was.

"The Headmaster wishes for me to bring you to his office."

Harry couldn't withhold the sneer that crossed his lips. What could the bumbling old fool want with him?

Snape obviously did not appreciate his reaction and said, "Yes, Merlin forbid you have to follow any rules set by your Headmaster, Potter. Not come!"

Harry got the impression that Snape did not like him, though he didn't know why. He'd never met the man before, therefore there should be no bad blood between them.

He was led through the castle and up a floor or two before they stopped before a gargoyle statue. Snape hissed out the words, "Sherbet Lemon."

A muggle candy? Loki and Harry shared a look, both coming to the conclusion that Dumbledore a nutter.

The gargoyle moved aside to reveal a stairway that moved when they stepped in it. The entire thing lifted suddenly and they spiraled around to face a pair of double doors.

Snape just entered without knocking, leading Harry to believe that the was some sort of ward around, alerting the Headmaster to who was coming or something.

The office was admirable yes, but the presence of the man who left him to rot muggle hell just ruined it all. Though the Phoenix on the perch on the desk was enough to make the experience not so wretched.

"Ah, Severus, thank you for bringing Mr. Potter!"

Harry sent Loki a bland look. This man was going to be a pain in the arse.

The Sorting Hat appeared suddenly in the old man's hand and he gestured for Harry to come closer, "There was a mistake when you were sorted, my dear boy. You must be sorted once more."

Harry scoffed and fixed the man with a glare and folded his arms. "The Hat told me I was perfectly capable of being in any House and because he couldn't decide, he told me to choose. I chose Slytherin for many reason that I refuse to disclose at present and  _I will not_  choose another House. You cannot force me to be re-sorted unless you force the entire school to be re-sorted and I'm sure many people would not appreciate such."

He was firmly set.

"My dear boy, you're a Potter. Potters are not sorted into Slytherin."

The boy scoffed, "Well now they are. I'll just be like Sirius, defying the mold created by my family. It's my decision and I do not appreciate you attempting to remove my rights from me. And I'm not your  _anything_ , Headmaster."

Loki chose that moment of slip from his collar and hiss in the Headmaster's direction.

§ _ **Foolish two-legger, trying to control my two-legger!**_ §

Harry's brows furrowed, wondering why Loki was speaking like that. He never referred to Harry like that before...unless Dumbledore somehow understood Parseltongue. Was that even possible is one could not speak it?

Snape took a wary step back, wand suddenly out and pointed a Loki. Harry placed a hand on the snake's head and fixed Snape with a challenging gaze. The man didn't move a muscle, which meant the wand was not being put away.

Harry's magic filled his hand and Loki was growing bigger and bigger until he was his normal size once more, wrapped around Harry tightly and hissing at the man who looked ready to kill him at a moment's notice.

"Mr. Potter, snakes are not on the list of allowable pets," Snape stated, voice deep and smooth.

"So? There's a Gryffindor boy with a large Tarantula and that certainly not on the list. Besides, Slytherin is represented by a snake, so it's expected to an extent. I'm pretty sure the girls of Gryffindor don't like a five inch spider with ten inch hairy legs, crawling about. Besides, Loki is a familiar, not a pet. He is my friend and he's harmless."

"He's a Python!" the man argued, looking at him like he was insane.

"And I'm a Parselmouth!" Harry sneered back. "He obeys me with no issue."

Both older men recoiled at that and Snape's dark eyes blew wide. Harry could see fear enter those dark orbs and had a feeling that the man was on the receiving end of some nasty Parselmagic some point in the past.

"And if that wasn't enough, two Gryffindor students have pets that aren't on the list. The youngest Weasley has a rat and the other with the Tarantula that is too big for its own good. If Gryffindor is the only House with students getting away with breaking the rules, I wonder what will happen if some parents feel the favoritism has gone too far?"

Manipulative, yes, but he was a Slytherin and it was a particular trait the House was known for.

Snape was gaping, in a very Slytherin way of course, not unattractively like Dumbledore was. The austere professor was much better at commanding his emotions, proof of Slytherin upbringing. Dumbledore was once in Gryffindor and from what he'd seen, they weren't very good at cloaking emotions and opinions for the world.

"May I go to my House now? I had to leave my  _muggleborn_ friend at the mercy of a House of students well known for segregating those who aren't their definition of 'pure'. She might be dead by now."

Harry knew they wouldn't kill her, but he also knew from what Tom had said, that Slytherin was horrible to those who were muggleborn. Hermione was smart and pretty strong, but she wasn't used to being hated for not being considered, 'good enough' in the eyes of her peers. Being made fun of for being a genius, versus being taunted for being 'worthless' wasn't the same.

"Now Mr. Potter as your Magical Guardian, I have to insist that you be re-sorted!"

He was still on about that? Cripes, did he have one hell of a one-track-mind.

"The Goblins removed you from that position when I revealed that I have never met you. In all the time you spent as my MG, you never came to see me and I had to learn from a  _snake_ and a  _letter_ than I'm a wizard. You left me with people who enforced slave-labor on me and neglected to feed me because I wasn't good enough. Petunia frequently tells me I'm a 'freak' and a 'waste of space'. In all this time, you've never once checked on me to see how I was doing and because of said neglect, I'm malnourished, unhealthy and I have to take nutrient potions every night for the next few months. You have no power in my life except that which is given to you for being a Headmaster, so step back and check yourself again, Headmaster Dumbledore. I'm going to my House now, good evening."

Harry stalked from the office, sauntering down the marble staircase and past the gargoyle and into the corridor.

§ _ **He is probably the most annoying person I have ever met!**_ §

§ _ **Now you know how I feel,**_ § Loki returned, shaking his head.

With Loki's direction, Harry finally made it to the snake statue that guarded the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.

§ _ **Open.**_ §

The snake's eyes went wide before hissing in greeting, § _ **Welcome.**_ §

§ _ **Thank you,**_ § he murmured back.

The Slytherin Common Room was dark with green lights hanging from the ceilings. Several bookcases and bureaus around the room. Wingbacks, sofas and wooden chairs with tables. A few skulls here and there. A hearth and right above it, the portrait of a man in green with a long black beard.

Loki's head bobbed, § _ **Salazar Slytherin. A lot of people don't know that though, because he refuses to speak in English and just watches people.**_ §

The man's eyes snapped to Loki and Harry gauged his appearance. From how he dressed, looked and the snake that was curled around his body, he seemed to be everything the boy had expected Slytherin to look like. Impressive.

§ _ **Like a stalker?**_ § he asked, wanting to see how the man reacted.

Loki sighed in exasperation, § _ **Not a stalker, he just doesn't find people stimulating these days.**_ §

Harry shrugged and moved toward the direction of the boys dorms. Loki had informed him that the first year boys were put in the same dorm as the second years. Only the seventh years got a dorm to themselves.

He reach the large archway and entered a very large room with many fourposters lining the walls. Dark colors and very intriguing bedding as well as dark oak desks, chairs and boudoirs as well.

Draco was toward the back of the room and he waved his hand a little, motioning Harry on over.

"What happened?" the blonde asked.

Harry spotted his trunk and bags along with Hedwig's cage, sitting beside the fourposters right next to Dracos, nestled into the corner. His bedding and hangings were green, which he liked.

"Dumbledore tried to force me to get resorted, but since the Hat let me choose to be here, I wasn't going to choose anywhere else. He didn't know that he is no longer my Magical Guardian and attempted to use the title to force me. It didn't work, obviously."

Harry went about talking out his belongings and sorting them on his bed. The boudoir designated for him was opened with a simple wave of the hand and Harry's things floated off the bed and into the black monstrosity. They settled over easily and he smiled when Loki slithered out of his clothes and onto the mattress, ordering him to use Parselmagic to place protective spells on his things. He did as ordered.

Draco, who was already dressed for bed, sneered, "My father hates Dumbledore. He always says that the man was the worst thing to ever happen to this place."

Loki hissed his agreement, catching the room's attention.

One of the second years looked Harry in the eye and said, "Potter, be careful with that bed. Rumor has it, that it was the Dark Lord's bed when he attended Hogwarts."

Harry looked to Loki, who nodded.

"Thank you for telling me, but I'm not worried. As for you all, just know that my snake Loki, is a Burmese Python and he will not attack any of you unless you attack him or me without notable justification," he said to the room of boys.

Some ignored him, some shivered at his words and a few, Blaise included, just stared.

Harry took care of his business, dressed for bed and took his nutrient potion. Nearly a month of taking them and still the taste hadn't gotten any better.

Placing a few more protections on his fourposter, Harry bade Draco, Blaise and Loki a good night and was finally able to succumb to the lethargy pressing upon him from such a long day.

Loki silently hissed in his ear as he drifted off, promising to show him all the amazing hiding spots and alcoves. The secret Slytherin passageways and even where the Chamber of Secrets was.

Harry smiled lightly, wondering if maybe Loki was getting excited himself, being back in the place he considered 'home'. Despite with the influence of Dumbledore, Harry had a feeling that he soon would be thinking of Hogwarts as his 'home' as well.

* * *

 

**A/N: Another one done!**

**How was it? Let me know.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week of school and revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 28th August 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> Harry and Hermione are kick ass.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

  **Monday:**

Classes for the first day were rather easy to accomplish. Defence and Potions.

Hermione kept throwing questions at him as they ate, wanting to see how much he knew. He answered everything perfectly and without hesitation, thinking about what Tom had put him through. Hermione seemed a lot nicer in studying than Tom was. But also he wouldn't dare risk not answering for fear of how disappointed Tom would be in him.

Loki rested around his neck and gladly ate anything Harry handed over. He then pointed out where all classes were when they received their timetables. Hermione was excited about nearly every class and jabbered on and on about what to expect and how she already read all the school books through twice. How she had memorised most of the first year curriculum and couldn't wait to start on her practical applications.

This prompted Harry into asking if she had an eidetic memory and she flushed naturally and nodded. "I need to learn as much as I can now, before it fades. Most adults don't keep such abilities when they age and I don't want to be ignorant of important things. I have limited time to learn everything I can and I will do whatever I can to make sure that I'm caught up with everyone else."

Hermione was eager to learn but was under the impression that if she didn't do perfectly in all her classes, she'd be kicked out of Hogwarts and her wand would be snapped. Harry had to correct that thought process by explaining that even getting an Acceptable - as the magicals called it - wouldn't be enough to kick her from the magical world. And then he pointed out her obvious intelligence and said there was no chance of her getting below an an O which was for Outstanding. And even if she couldn't attend Hogwarts, she could still be Apprenticed to someone and would be allowed to retain possession of her wand. 

The two chatted easily, unnerving the other Slytherins who didn't expect to get a Muggleborn and Harry Potter at their table that year. They paid no attention to others, though Harry was congenial to Malfoy upon Loki's request. If the serpent said it was best for him to stay on the blond's good side, then Harry would do so.

People whispered and pointed at him. News of his treatment from his relatives, reached the ears of the other Houses. The Slytherins confided in the Ravenclaws who had no problem spreading the news to the other Houses. Harry's obvious size difference compared to everyone else, also definitely being who he was, was enough to credit his words as true. He was seven inches shorter than Hermione, who was over 4 ½ feet tall. He was rather dainty too, adding to the whole,  _androgynous_  air. He even had to admit that he looked unhealthy for his age and wondered what others saw when they looked at him.

Potions was the first class of the day.

The room was dark for the most part, with a small trip of light permeating through the shutters on the lone window. The Potions professor swept into the room with black, billowing robes and faced them with a stern countenance. He introduced himself as Severus Snape and fully established himself as a no-nonsense type of professor and warned them against lollygagging and foolish wand waving.

He then rounded on Harry with a long list of questions that had even Loki awake and hissing his apparent dislike for the man. If Tom hadn't put him through such harsh study sessions prior to the beginning of the term, Harry wouldn't have been able to answer those questions. Things that weren't even on the first year curriculum. After ten difficult questions, Snape finally gave him one he couldn't answer.

"I don't know, sir. I haven't opened the N.E.W.T. level book 'Advanced Potion-Making' by Libatius Borage, yet and you cannot blame me for it. None of the other questions you asked me were first year level work. Not even second year level."

Snape's eyes lightened considerably. The man stared at Harry for several long seconds, silence dragging on.

He finally straightened up and gave a curt nod.

"Fifty points to Slytherin for answering ten fifth year questions correctly."

The Slytherins all smirked and Harry sighed in relief. Loki was still hissing his displeasure.

"As for the answer, the aforementioned ingredients create the Elixir to Induce Euphoria."

Snape snapped his attention to the Gryffindor section of the class and hissed, "Well?! Why aren't you taking notes?"

Hermione's reaction to Harry's knowledge was hilarious! She asked to borrow his books and promised to keep them all safe and sound. Though she had her own portable library so her promise wasn't half-hearted. She had spent the money her family had saved up for Achon(a college for incredibly intelligent young ladies aged 13 and up),  on books. Hogwarts was paid for by the Ministry, meaning Hermione had extra money that had been saved over the years, at her disposal. Harry knew his possessions would be safe in the hands of someone like Hermione, who was smart enough to have been accepted into Achon ahead of time.

Loki warned him to keep an eye on Snape, completely not trusting the man. He didn't like someone treating Harry so rudely. Harry didn't really like it either and was sure he only got points because he was a Slytherin and according to everyone, Snape favoured Slytherins.

Defence was a joke.

Professor Quirrell was a stuttering, quivering mess. He reeked of garlic and wore a violet colored turban on his head. Also, whenever someone said the word 'vampire' he would jump at least a foot. He was bloody terrified of vampires. It showed in his every day life and the fact that he had the shutters closed, but only lit the room with the sunlight charm, hoping that any vampires that came around would be burned.

Harry recognized that the man was like two people in one. Some moments, he stood perfectly still, almost not breathing as he surveyed his surroundings. Others, he fidgeted and twisted his fingers together in a obvious nervous reaction to whatever worried him. But when he was in control of himself, he was usually looking in Harry's direction. Harry had a terrible feeling that the man was like some sort of stalker or maybe even a pedophile, but he had nothing to really base his assumptions off of. No one else seemed to see the man's actions as odd.

By the end of the first day, things had gone rather well, except for in Defence of course. That had been the biggest let down of all and he never wanted to go back.

At dinner, Harry pulled a large vial out of his robes and uncorked it. Hermione frowned at the smell and he shrugged. He could understand her opinion, but it was a necessary action to take.

"I have to take it if I want to get better. Maybe I'll actually grow by next school year. I just hope this hasn't permanently altered me in some terrible way. I don't like being so small. Everyone is walking around me like I'm some kind of doll that's at risk of breakage."

He took the potion in one quick gulp, placed the vial back in his pocket, and proceeded to eat his meal.

Later on, he was pulled from the Common Room by Professor Snape, who wanted him to go to the Hospital Wing. Harry sighed, but allowed Madam Pomfrey to examine him, even though he explained that he'd gone through it at St. Mungo's already. That he was currently on a potions schedule. That he quite literally already had everything handled.

She tsked and tutted and commented on how he should take better care of himself. Harry sighed and stepped away from her, much to her ire and Snape's annoyance. But he wouldn't be taking blame for things that weren't his fault. If he actually did something wrong, he would own up to it. This however, was not his problem.

"If you had bothered to listen, you'd realise that I wasn't raised properly. How about you contact St. Mungo's and get my records? They have a full account of my records now and could make this whole process go by a lot faster. I am a child, and it is not my duty to do what my aunt should have been doing all these years, and she failed miserably at it. Do not blame me for that pathetic muggle's actions."

He glared for good measure and Loki assisted, poking his head out and hissing at the them. The serpent stared the Medi-Witch in the eye, as if threatening her to speak further and face consequences.

And so while she went into her office, he was left with Snape whom he studiously ignored, chatting Loki up instead.

Pomfrey returned a few moments later, with papers in her hands.

"Are they doing anything about his?" she asked after a moment of reading.

He shrugged, "Sirius should be well by the end of the year. They've wronged him for far too long and have a lot to make up for, so obviously Lord Black has the best of the best assistance and should make a full recovery by May.

"As for my health, I take potions every day for everything. The Skele-Gro was gross but I was able to sleep through that process. The Healer was really nice to me."

"How could Albus let this happen?"

"By not watching over me like a Magical Guardian is supposed to," said Harry bluntly.

Snape didn't like his answer.

"He is a busy wizard with more important things to do than to watch over a spoiled brat all the time!"

Both Harry and Loki turned to the man and hiss simultaneously. The dark man flinched back.

" _Yes_ , I'm a  _spoiled brat_  even though my records of neglect and abuse at the hands of my muggle 'family' lay not  _four feet_  from you. Broken bones, a history of starvation and the very fact that I look like an eight year old instead of a preteen, shows that I wasn't pampered. Sir, if you have an  _issue_ with me I suggest you get it out now, because I refuse to be spoken to in such a way.

"From what I've seen of this school so far, I'm half tempted to get Sirius' permission to move to France and attend Beauxbatons. At least people there wouldn't believe a lying man about whether or not a child is healthy, and then see proof of the lies and still  _choose_  to believe the liar."

Harry sent the man a challenging glare. Daring him to argue with him. "Go ahead and look at the reports on my files,  _sir_ ," he said condescendingly. "I'm sure the Head Auror's report will interest you greatly and the fact that Petunia literally told magical law enforcement to their faces that they were  _freaks_ , makes it all worse."

Pomfrey obviously saw that things were quickly becoming too heated and interjected with, "Mr. Potter, your parents attended Hogwarts! You can't just leave."

Harry's gaze shifted victims instantly and he saw the woman gulp. "Good for them. They were also Gryffindors from what I've read. I am not a Gryffindor and I am nothing like either of them. I am my own person and I do not appreciate people comparing me to dead people I'll never know," he hissed, not missing her gasp. " _Yes_ , they're dead. And I will never meet them. It's great that they died for me, but it only goes so far. I know next to nothing about them except that they were Gryffindors and Voldemort went after them because of a prophecy about me."

Snape flinched again and the Medi-witch frowned.

"So, am I going to have to keep dealing with sheer incompetence and end up leaving for France, or am I getting some mutual respect and staying,  _sir_?" Harry asked, turning back to his Head of House.

The man gave a stiff nod and he sighed internally.

"Good. Now, once again, I have left my Muggleborn friend at the mercy of a House of people who don't accept her existence as anything worthy. If something happened to her in my absence, I will demand retribution. And just know that you both will be taking the blame for it."

Harry turned, Loki curling around shoulders as he left.

§ _ **I am proud of your expanding vocabulary,**_ § Loki hissed.

§ _ **Me too. It's fun to shock people. Especially when it knocks them off their high horses.**_ §

**Tuesday:**

Charms was the first class and it was easy. Both he and Hermione paired off again and managed to earn Slytherin ten points each for their work.

Professor Flitwick was of half Goblin decent, if his height and physical appearance were anything to go by. This made Hermione excited and she jabbered on and on about learning more about Goblin culture. Harry could tell that she'd be a real fan of Care of Magical Creatures when third year came. She would probably be the only student to take History of Magic seriously, since all Binns talked about was Goblins and their wars.

History of Magic was just as Tom had described it though. Boring. So he and Hermione devised a study method that would be employed, so that they'd use their time wisely. Hermione had ended up not liking it all to much because Binns had no inflection in his tone. He simply droned on and on which made her excitement drain away quickly.

The method was as follows. One would write down a question and the other would write the answer. They'd go back and forth until the period was over. Surprisingly, they got a lot of work done in that one period and managed to make an effective study method with it.

And then lunch came.

Hermione started her work at the table, much to Harry's confusion.

"I wanted to check out some books from the Library but I want to have time for it."

Loki popped his head out of Harry's collar to hiss, § _ **She has a good idea. Follow her example and you'll have more time to peruse the shelves and avoid your Housemates.**_ §

Harry pulled out his own work and proceeded to work on his Potions essay, which was done rather quickly, considering he didn't need to hunt in the book for answers. Charms was quick work and he and Hermione conferred on the Defence homework from the day before, because Quirrell was a stuttering mess and they didn't know if they got everything he had said, verbatim.

They only had to do a little bit of work in the Library before starting off on their book hunt.

Loki was hissing quickly, informing him of which books he should get. Fourth year curriculum in Charms, to begin with. He wanted Harry to memorise everything first, so theory could be taken care of. He'd then show Harry the practicals later on when they had some more free time on their hands. Unless Harry could do it on his own of course. Doubtful, but still very possible.

Each student took a side of the table and spread what they had amassed together, out with large grins. And for five hours, he and Hermione stared at words. It was more fun than he thought it would be.

**Wednesday:**

Potions early morning, again. It was pretty much the same, though Snape did take a lot of points from the Gryffindors and poor Neville was rocked to the core. His only fear was being a failure as an Heir and Snape had probably just intensified that feeling. Harry felt bad for him.

Herbology came after though and they didn't have to be in pairs for the class, so the two Slytherins defied all odds and stood on either side of Neville, offering support. Lo' and behold, the boy was a genius at herbs and plants! Neville managed to earn ten points for Gryffindor all for answering two very in depth questions. Hermione and Harry smiled encouragingly.

Lunch was a normal affair. Assignments done between bites of food and students being ignored when they tried taunting them.

Flying was scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon and Hermione wanted everything finished by then. Especially since the first years had Astronomy at midnight and she wanted some sleep for it. Essays would just get in the way of resting.

Hermione did not have any talent for flying and he could understand in a way because it was a practical sort of thing and didn't require her to read a book on it first in order to be considered good at it.

Madam Hooch walked into the courtyard and instructed them to place their right hands over their brooms and to say the word, 'up' with force.

Harry's broom easily leapt to his hand, magic twirling around his palm and warming him to the core. Hermione's was still on the ground, rolling to and fro.

"Up. Up. Up. Up!" she ordered forcefully, barely getting the wood to roll around.

Harry reached over and loosened her fingers, so that they weren't stiff as a board. "Don't fear the broom. But don't act like it's something that must be tamed, either. You'll lose control that way."

She huffed, but did so and the broom rose slowly from the ground, until she plucked it from the air. "Thanks, Harry."

They stood around as Madam Hooch instructed people on how to mount the broom properly, without sliding off the end. Loki insisted upon remaining on the ground and Harry chuckled when he hissed something about not dying because of a foolish first year who couldn't control his broom.

That turned out to not be the case with Harry. Neville on the other hand- poor Neville couldn't seem to get a break.

Just as Madam Hooch was telling them to push off from the ground, Neville's broom ascended at a rapid pace, taking him high into the sky. Madam Hooch was shouting orders for him to come down immediately, but the boy was clutching to the wood with everything in him, screaming for help. The broom shook to and fro, obviously trying to buck him off. It was like a crazed bull.

And then the broom tilted forward and Neville slid right off the handle, plummeting to the ground.

Harry's wand was in hand instantly and he pointed it upward toward his falling friend. " _Arresto Momentum_!"

Neville's rapidly descending form slowed and stopped, mere inches above the ground. He hovered for a few seconds, before plopping onto the grass with a loud 'umf!'.

Hermione was staring at Harry in awe and he shrugged. "It's a second year charm."

Madam Hooch rushed over to Neville and helped him up. Miraculously, he was unscathed. The spiky haired woman rounded on the young Potter, her golden eyes penetrating.

"Five points to Slytherin for your quick thinking, Potter."

He smiled lightly. He hadn't done it for points, but okay. But also, why hadn't she thought of doing that? Was she not a qualified instructor? An adult? Did she not take the tests necessary to teach students?

Neville returned to his position as Madam Hooch called the broom back. The boy gave Harry a grateful smile and a tip of the head. "Thanks, Harry."

"A fall from that height would break something and there was too much risk that it would be your neck," he said. "There was no way to determine how you would land."

They returned their attention to the lesson and managed to catch Madam Hooch's repeated instructions on how to hover.

Harry kicked off from the ground and steadied himself. He waited for everyone else to complete the action, and just sat there for a few moments until everyone was airborne.

"Lean forward slightly and touch back down!" Madam Hooch called.

Harry was once again, the only one to manage it on the the first try. Malfoy was mumbling about the brooms being faulty, since he'd done this many times before and had no trouble. Madam Hooch then informed him that he was seated incorrectly and holding the the shaft of the broom wrong.

Once everyone was back on the ground again, she decided to test each of them individually by making them fly through some magical blue rings that appeared in the sky after she waved her wand.

In alphabetical order, they all went. Hermione and Neville weren't so good. Both looked faintly ill after their turns. Malfoy was better than the others that came before him, but he had some trouble with turning. Nott and Parkinson had no talent in flying whatsoever. And then came Harry's turn.

He kicked off and waited for the broom to rise on its own. There was no rush.

The first ten hoops were easy. He took his time instead of rushing them like the others did. It was freeing in a sense, and instead of trying to get it over with, he wanted it to last. He thought the blue rings were it, just like everyone else had done. But then green rings appeared, dipping low or moving high. His eyes latched onto each ring as he neared and properly steered himself so as to not hit the edges.

The green rings bled into yellow, which were much more erratic in placement. They gave way to orange. He noticed that these rings were moving from side to side.

The red rings that came next were terrible. His turning ratio was tested to the maximum and he couldn't help but wonder why no one else had to do the extra hoops.

The last ring was right beside Madam Hooch and he dived toward it, tipping the wood tightly. At the last second, he hefted his weight to the side, making the broom turn over, with him dangling beneath it as the instrument stopped right in the center of the hoop, which hovered only an inch off the ground.

There was clapping and whistling and he looked over to see the professor gaping at him. On the other side, the students were jumping up and own.

He pulled his legs down from the broom and ducked under the floating wood, before standing up completely. The ring disappeared.

"Mr. Potter, that was amazing," Madam Hooch finally said. "No one below fifth year has ever managed to complete that course. Especially in such a short amount of time. You've earned yourself the best grade one can get for Flying. A  _Distinction_. Well done!"

News of Harry Potter's first flying lesson, spread like a wild fire through the school. Everyone was looking at him. The Slytherin first years kept asking if he was going to join the Quidditch team in their second year and he shrugged. He wasn't too sure about that yet and he'd have to talk to Tom about it first. Would it fit into their study sessions? Time would tell. Also, did he really want to learn how to play such a dangerous sport?

He did notice that both Snape and Quirrell were staring at him during dinner. He didn't understand why though, and while it was definitely amazing that he finished such a difficult task, it wasn't so great that they had to skip their entire meal in order to stare at him. It was just a broom exam. Not the O.W.L.s or anything important.

Later on in the evening, the first years, all one hundred and something of them, all gathered in the Astronomy Tower. The only class they all had together. Harry couldn't help but not care about the stars. What use were they in day to day life? How would they benefit him at all?

Though it was't as if he could ignore the class seeing as Loki was very irate when he realised that Harry was not paying attention to the professor. If he didn't want to be given extra work, he had to give the professor his undivided attention, even if he didn't give a damn.

By the time they got to bed, they all collapsed, still in uniform and robes.

Harry didn't know the genius who decided to have young children up so late, but he hated them very much.

**Thursday:**

Classes started at ten-thirty the next morning in order to give the first years a chance to get enough sleep. Slytherin gained fifteen points when Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy all managed the levitation charm without issue. Flitwick was beside himself with joy.

At lunch, the chatter in the Great Hall was louder than normal. People were holding the Daily Prophet and speaking loudly, heads pushed together.

When Harry got his hands on one, his eyes widened.

"Someone managed to break into Gringotts," he told Hermione.

Her head snapped up in shock. "It's supposed to be the most secure place in the world!"

Harry thought back to the poem/warning/challenge in the door. ' _If you seek beneath our floors, a treasure that was never yours. Thief you have been warned beware, of finding more than treasure there'_. If it was the most safe place in the world, then they must have had some dangerous things guarding their vaults. So for someone to get in without being caught, was impressive. According to the article, they got out too!

"The person attempted to steal something from Vault 713, but luckily it had been emptied earlier that very same day."

Hermione looked up in shock, "Vault 713? That's the vault Professor McGonagall and I stopped by when we went to Gringotts to exchange currency. The conversion rate is amazing, by the way. Any who, she had to stop by the vault and get something for the Headmaster. It was small enough to fit into her palm, wrapped in brown cloth and tied with twine. She took us down to show my parents and I what the below floors were like, if I ever decided to open an account."

Harry's brow twitched and he held up a finger, signaling for her to wait.

He stood from his seat and walked a bit further down the table to one of the older Slytherins that he knew was a Prefect.

"Excuse me," he asked politely.

The older teen looked up at him with a cocked brow.

"Has the Headmaster ever warned students away from places  _inside_  the castle lest they risk death, before?"

"No," the boy said slowly.

Harry gave him a bright smile, "Thanks."

He rejoined Hermione once more. "Whatever she took out of the vault was placed within the school. Dumbledore has never warned students away from parts of the castle. So if Gringotts is the safest place in the world, then Dumbledore had something either old, valuable, or powerful, inside that vault. He knew someone was after it so he had it moved as quickly as possible and is hiding it here. In a school full of children. And apparently it's dangerous to get near the third floor corridor. Do you know how many people don't pay attention to their surroundings? A child could get killed by whatever is protecting that thing, all over a mistake or lapse in judgment."

Hermione's eyes went wide.

"This isn't good. In fact, it's very bad."

"Yes."

The two sat there, staring at their food. Harry shook himself off and pulled his potion for the current meal, from his robes. He downed it quickly, before starting on his vegetables. Hermione leaned over the table and plopped an apple beside his goblet.

"You need more nutrients, not just from a potion. We'll have you all better in no time, I promise."

The pre-teen nodded as he ate. It was nice to have another person who gave a damn about his health. It made him feel warm inside.

**Friday:**

Potions for the first period and History of Magic - which was horrendous - for the next. After lunch, came Herbology and then Transfiguration. Friday seemed to be the most filled day. The only class they had on Saturdays, was Magical Theory. Of course there was no class on Sunday.

Slytherin earned thirty points in Potions, twenty-five in Herbology, and twenty in Transfiguration. All of them thanks to Malfoy, Harry, and Hermione.

By then, all of Slytherin House took to ignoring Hermione and leaving her with Harry. They didn't comment on her blood status, nor did they attack her or her work. The fact that she and Harry kept earning their House nearly one hundred points a day, gave them immunity. Slytherin would win the House Cup, which was a good enough reason to leave the two alone. As all of them would be benefiting in so way with prestige, they could at least accept her presence among them.

Also, Harry had a dangerous snake at his beck and call and none of them wanted to be on the receiving end of an attack from it. Though it wasn't a poisonous reptile, a bite would still hurt and could possibly become infected if not healed immediately. And then there was the fact that the real length of it, which was exacerbated due to being of magical decent insisted of being born like normal serpents, was around thirty feet instead of the usual twenty. The young boy let it loose in its natural length in the Common Room and everyone remained a fair distance from it from then on.

That thing could wrap around them and squeeze them to death and only very powerful magic would be able to injure it. That was, if Potter hadn't put other enchantments on it in his Parseltongue. It was just best to stay out of the way.

Professor Snape was a very studious man and watched everything with a sharp eye. He saw everything and when his eyes landed on the Slytherin Hourglass, he took note of how much larger the mound of green Emeralds inside it, had grown. Slytherin was currently at four hundred and sixty-two points, in only the first week of classes. He wasn't so foolish as to not understand who was responsible for such a large leap.

More than one child. No,  _two children_  had managed to blow every professor away with their sheer drive to do well in their classes. And the astounding fact that they hounded the Library at every chance and always practised their magic together no matter where they were only proved it.

His snakes had been rather congenial to the odd pairing. Once it became obvious that they weren't causing problems and were practically ensuring Slytherin the victory for the House Cup, everyone was fine with leaving the two alone.

And then Potter accomplished what no one else had and managed to earn a  _Distinction_  in only his  _first year_! Any student that earned such a high grade, immediately won their House fifty points, as well as guaranteed the victor some sort of prize. Since Flying was the class he had earned said grade in, Potter earned himself a place on the Quidditch team the following year. He'd even have the right to choose which position he wanted to play. That was, if he was even interested.

And then there was the snake. It was monstrous! It also did not like him but he glanced that from the fact that he admittedly kept asking idiotic questions whenever Potter's health was concerned. Also, his actions toward the boy during their first few encounters, did not help. The snake understood English well enough and therefore, made certain that he remained a fair distance from its Speaker.

It was all there. Potter's height and weight should have been enough for him to realize Dumbledore's lies, but he let his hatred for James Potter blind him. Anything, just so he could continue to lay all of his anger and pain on someone. It didn't matter that that very someone was Lily's son.

Shameful. And for him to believed Dumbledore so readily, what sort of Slytherin was he?

His attention shifted to his side, where Quirinus sat, gazing too fixedly on the Slytherin Table. He was suspicious ever since coming back from Albania. Dumbledore claiming that everything was fine, did not fool him now. Something was wrong. The Stone was taken from Gringotts mere hours before someone attempted to steal it. Obviously, that meant that it was in danger.

Who could actually pose as a threat to it though? Who could contend with Dumbledore, much less the entire staff of Hogwarts? He shivered at the memory, but he managed to say the word in his mind at least.  **Voldemort**.

If he was somehow alive, then why had Dumbledore not said a thing? Just like he hadn't mentioned Potter's neglect? Abuse was a better word for it, despite the boy's insistence that it could be worse.

Draco had told him of what the boy and Granger had discussed on their first evening while at the table. The child truly believed that it wasn't abuse. That Petunia and her husband and son had only neglected him. He swore that it could have been worse and wasn't going to complain about the treatment. Though being forced to dress as a girl did irritate him.

The Potions Master inwardly rolled his eyes.

Only one week of schooling had passed and already there was more drama than he'd care to handle. He sighed. Over two hundred and fifty days to go.

**Saturday:**

Harry and Hermione found themselves in the Library after all classes that day. They had two hours to complete their work and then dinner would come.

After their written work was finished, they vacated the area in search of a room that they could do some practical in.

Hermione chose a random door on the second floor and both she and Harry entered the empty room, which was bare, save for a large mirror standing directly across the room in front of the door.

It was golden and stood nearly the entire height of the arched room. On the sides were what looked to be carefully carved runes. It rested on detailed clawed feet, reminiscent of a lion's paws. On the very top of, curving over the top of the arch, were some ornately carved words.

Harry vaguely heard himself pronouncing them aloud.

" _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_."

" _I show not your face but your heart's desire_ ," Hermione chimed in, solving the mix up instantly.

In that instant, the room was filled with a golden light and both children held up their arms to block the brightness. When it dimmed, there sat a small item on the stone floor, wrapped in a scruffy brown material and tied with a piece of twine.

Hermione gasped. "That's what Professor McGonagall took from Vault 713!"

Harry moved forward cautiously and stooped to pick it up. "Hermione, this isn't the third floor. Why is it here instead of there?"

"I haven't the foggiest."

Harry slowed untied the twine and pulled a red object from the makeshift bag. His hand vibrated with the power held inside it.

"Okay, so this is some sort of magical stone and it is very dangerous and very powerful," he stated.

"Should we give it to a professor?" Hermione asked, staring at it curiously.

"I don't know. Why did it appear before us suddenly? Why was it even in here to begin with? If it is as important as I think it is, it should have the highest form of protection available. Leaving it in some random classroom isn't protecting it. Maybe it was supposed to be found. Maybe this was the real hiding place for it and the third floor is just a ruse."

They stared at the stone, which seemed to glow by some inner fire. It flickered between blood red and dark orange.

"I'm going to hold onto it for now," Harry said, placing it back in the mini sack. "I don't trust Dumbledore at the moment and I think it would be best if people don't know where it is at all." He tied the cord and hissed a few chosen spells in Parseltongue to offer extra protection.

He wouldn't even tell Loki until the time was right. It was too powerful an object and he wasn't so foolish to believe that Loki was a saint. The man himself explained his less than honorable intentions in his early life. Loki couldn't find out about it and Dumbledore shouldn't either.

Hermione looked worried, but nodded.

The next few weeks passed easily enough. Nothing interesting happened.

It was only when Harry attempted to figure out what this stone was, that things become interesting and slightly worrying. He'd tried revealing charms but nothing would explain the creation of the stone. Nor the properties that lie within.

He poked it with his new, magical glasses and the frames immediately turned golden and became heavy in his hand. He held them up to his gaze and his eyes widened. He wrapped the stone up and placed the proper enchantments on it once more, before dashing from the room as he placed it within his pocket.

He found Hermione sitting in an armchair in the Common Room, reading a book on Transfiguration. She looked up as he approached.

He pulled the glasses off and knelt by her side, whispering frantically, "The stone turned them gold!"

She slammed the book shut and took them carefully, checking them over.

"It changed the metal part into pure gold. This isn't normal. Show me," she whispered back, standing up.

Harry looked around, making sure that there was no one in the Common Room, before pulling the stone from his pocket and unwrapping it. Right there, before the fire, the two watched as Hermione pulled one of the book ends off the nearest bookcase and touched it to the stone. Right in her hand, the heavy iron book end turned golden and became a lot heavier in her palms, causing her to hold it with both so as not to drop it.

They stared for a few seconds and Harry couldn't help but grab the other bookend and repeat the process, which had the same outcome.

The two gaped at each other.

§ _ **That is a Philossssopher's Stone.**_ §

Harry jumped at the sound of Parseltongue, but realized that the voice wasn't Loki's. It was different.

He looked around, wondering where it came from.

§ _ **Up here,**_ § the very same voice hissed.

Harry looked up and was greeted by the bright green eyes of Salazar Slytherin's portrait.

§ _ **I'm sorry, what?**_ §

The man sighed, "You have in your hand, a Philosopher's Stone. It is very difficult to create one. Alchemists have been trying for ages, but none had succeeded when I was alive. It is the only object above to turn any metal into pure gold. It is also said to produce the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal."

Harry's eyebrow arched when Slytherin actually switched to English so Hermione could understand him. His jaw dropped in time with his friend's at the information revealed though.

So it  _was_ really dangerous. Wow.

"I have hung upon this wall for centuries and it had been stated over five hundred year ago, that one man managed to create a Philosopher's Stone. His name, if he is still alive, is Nicholas Flamel."

Hermione gasped. "Professor Dumbledore is friends with him! I read that on the back of the Headmaster's Wizard Card! They studied Alchemy together!"

Harry frowned, "And Flamel just  _handed_ such an object over for Dumbles to safeguard? Really?"

Hermione shrugged and Slytherin's painted eyes seemed to twinkle.

"Have you both noticed that the portraits can leave their borders and stray into other paintings and such if they wish?"

Both nodded.

"The staff are prepared for some dark force to come and steal the object hidden away. My assumption would be that the object is the stone. Albus Dumbledore is under the impression that the former dark lord will come back from the grave to take it."

And then it all clicked for Harry. "Voldemort is well and alive and he is somewhere nearby, ready to steal his chance at immortality," he said in a toneless voice.

Hermione flinched at the sudden use of the name, but also gaped in horror at him. "He's alive?" she asked with obvious worry.

Harry nodded. "I found out during my visit to Gringotts. He's alive because he split his soul into several pieces and sealed them into objects in order to make himself immortal. I have a piece of his soul too, but by accident. He'll never truly be dead, unless all the objects are destroyed and I don't feel like dying just yet.  _So_ , yeah."

And both Hermione and Slytherin were looking at him in similar states of pity/horror and he didn't like it.

"So, I should keep the stone on me at all times, so that Voldemort won't have a chance to get his hands on it," he proposed, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Essentially," Slytherin nodded. "That would be for the best."

Hemrione nodded.

Harry sighed and put the super powerful and dangerous stone back in its place, before re-setting the spells he had on it.

"Also, do not mention the stone at all. I can't say everything just yet, but you should know that my snake Loki, isn't a normal snake and he cannot know about the stone at this point in time."

Though he could see Hermione was confused, she did nod. Slytherin was filled with visible comprehension. He knew who Loki really was, somehow.

The boy sighed once more.

Now he had to protect the stone from more than one person. Great.

* * *

**A/N: Another one is done!**

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**See ya! :D**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHECK OUT MY MANY OTHER HARRYMORT/TOMARRY FICS!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised 29th August 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised 12th May 2017.
> 
> Harry finds the diadem. Gets his Invisibility Cloak. Sends a letter to Nicolas.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

§ _ **You want me to go where and do what now?**_ §

Loki hissed at him and lifted his shrunken tail to point out the wall, § _ **Walk in front of it three times, thinking about the room. Eventually it will appear.**_ §

Harry rolled his eyes, but did as told. A large door appeared in the wall, iron seeming to grow right out of the stone. Pieces of design curled together, creating an ornate object that looked too fancy to be a door. Magic was bloody awesome.

Harry grasped the handle carefully and pulled, poking his head into the small space. He was then confronted with a large room and he slowly entered, closing the door behind himself.

Loki slithered off his arm and onto the floor.

§ _ **Return me to my original my size,**_ § the man turned snake, hissed.

Harry did so instinctively as he was still staring at the vast room, covered in junk! Like, were there no such things as magical Charity Shops? Why was all of this stuff just sitting around when there were probably people who could make good use of it?

Piles upon piles of things littered the room. He couldn't even see where the end was, there was so much stuff in the way. Long lines and aisles of stacked furniture and chairs. Rugs, boxes, bureaus, armoires, tables placed in random areas that were covered in frilly, lacy doilies, and jewels littering the tops. There was a long line of brooms about ten feet from the door, all extremely old. How many destitute people could make use of these things that the castle seemed to be hogging away?

Loki hissed, § _ **I will search in this direction and you will go the other way. If you need me, hiss as loud as you can. It is either a silver diadem with blue jewels on it and supposedly Rowena's most famous words, 'wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure', are inscribed somewhere on it. Or it is a golden cup with a badger on it.**_ § He slithered away before Harry could ask what a bloody diadem was. They'd need to have another discussion about assuming that Harry knew certain words that most definitely weren't in use these days.

Harry watched as the large snake disappeared behind the large pile of objects to his left. The ones that looked like cages that could fit human sized things. He sighed and just told himself that if there were words on anything he saw, he should just read them.

Harry slowly walked forward, looking at all of the junk on the tables scattered randomly in front of him. Jars, hourglasses of varying sizes, and even a large collection of mirrors stood in different places. His reflections was of a prim and proper Hogwarts student and nothing would suggest any problems if one ignored his shoddy height.

He didn't know what he was looking for. He didn't even know why he was there. He just knew that Loki had insisted that he felt something in this room and swore that it was a Horcrux.

He ventured further, finding himself going through the various boxes littering the tables. Jewelry didn't interest him. The cutlery was rather nice and made of pure silver, lacking any jewels. He shifted through music boxes -  _magicals had those?_  - and paused when a small tiara shocked his hand.

He reared back and shook the brief amount of pain off. Curious and seemingly unable to help himself, Harry reached out to touched the tiara again. It didn't hurt this time, so maybe it was just static. Harry had just walked across a long line of rugs.

Carefully, he picked up the tiara and looked it over. It was larger than normal tiaras were but smaller than a full-sized crown. What was it?

His finger brushed over the blue gem in the center and he could hear something. Voices? Female and male, so two of them. They were arguing.  _Inside_ the tiara?

Upon the edge of the tiara, were the words, ' _Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure._ '.

It struck him. This was Ravenclaw's lost Diadem. _A diadem was a tiara_ , he repeated to himself so he'd remember. Mentioned in  **Hogwarts: A History**. The quote was something Rowena lived by and apparently had it on the walls of the Ravenclaw Common Room. Though he didn't really know if it was true or not.

The first year contemplated on what he should do to get Loki's attention.

 

The pre-teen turned to call for the serpent, in which he would sing a nursery rhyme that he learned the other hated very much, when his vision was suddenly distorted and everything bled into black and white. Like he was suddenly inside a magical photograph. He looked around, eyes coming to rest of a still figure not too far away. He recognised the man as Tom, but a lot older. Early thirties at least.

Was he inside the Horcrux? Could people get sucked inside Horcruxes? Had anyone ever attempted to get into one? Maybe Tom would know, though that was for later, because Harry needed to think fast and get out before something he had no control over, happened.

In a split second decision, Harry turned to the man and said, "Dad?"

Diadem Tom's eyebrow rose suddenly and he heard a small, 'Hm?' come from the man.

"Dad, we've talked about this," Harry said, trying to make himself sound exasperated while internally trying to find a way out of the diadem. If he was truly inside it to begin with.

There was no response from the man.

"You need to stop following me around. I have a life and it isn't cool for you to stalk me everywhere so you can monitor my life constantly. And stop tweaking the wards so that you can Apparate yourself anywhere. And stop doing it soundlessly, it's scary and enough to make me paranoid. The Gryffindors will poke fun at me if you keep following me everywhere. And for Merlin's sake, stop imbibing the age potions, you look just fine the way you are. You aren't  _that_ old yet!"

He had no idea is that was something children said to their parents, since he'd never had them. Dudley wasn't a good example. He was spoiled and annoying and just a whiner through and through.

Diadem Tom stared at him for another moments, before hissing, § _ **Perhaps I prefer to have the upper hand over my enemies.**_ §

Harry scoffed for real, because that was such a Tom answer. Anything to take control of an unknown situation. § _ **More like cheating,**_ § he hissed back.

Diadem Tom relaxed slightly and Harry understood why. Only those who were a part of the Slytherin line could speak Parseltongue and Harry speaking it, proved that he was the man's child. His heir. That was laughable.

§ _ **Where's Loki?**_ § Harry asked, looking around at the rubbish, trying to think of a way out.

"Hm?"

Before Harry could elaborate, something hard slammed into his head and he was knocked off his feet, landing with a harsh thud on the carpeted floor. He looked up, noticing that the color had returned and that his eyes now hurt. On the floor in front of him, was the diadem.

§ _ **You fool!**_ § a disapproving voice hissed.

He rolled his eyes and sat up, glaring as Loki slithered into his line of vision.

"I didn't do it deliberately. I had just realized what it was when whatever that was, happened. Luckily, I had him thinking I was his son so he didn't try anything unsavory."

Loki gave his the equivalent of a serpent eyes roll and he shrugged in return.

"Besides, I found it and isn't this something you were looking for? You should be super glad that it is no longer lost and be nice to me for finding it for you."

Loki looked unimpressed.

"Do you want it or not?" Harry asked, grabbing it off the floor.

A very expensive and well bred Eagle Owl landed beside Harry's plate at lunch a week later. It was brown, with golden speckles and had a pair of sharp yellow eyes that reminded him of Hedwig. In its beak was a letter of thick parchment and very fanciful script on the front. He took it carefully and offered the owl a piece of bacon in return. It hooted, took the offering, and took flight, leaving he and practically the whole Slytherin Table, curious about the letter.

It was from Gringotts, or so it said. He pulled his now golden special charmed glasses from his robe pocket and looked it over. No enchantments other than a privacy ward intended for him only. He nodded and placed the glasses back into his pocket.

With quick movements, he had the letter opened and was reading over the words.

**_Dear Mr. Potter,_ **

**_It has come to our attention that a priceless artifact was removed from_ **   
**_your Trust Vault, number six hundred and eighty-seven, in the year nineteen_ **   
**_hundred and eighty-one, by one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Since_ **   
**_said object was not returned  upon the ousting of Lord Dumbledore as your_ **   
**_Magical Guardian, he now owes Gringotts  Bank as well as Heir Potter-Black,_ **   
**_a sum of one thousand Galleons each._ **

**_In order to retrieve the object, you must place an amount of blood on the_ **   
**_center point below  the wording on this parchment. Then you must incant the_ **   
**_words 'Recipio, Potter Family  Invisibility Cloak' and it shall appear. The letter will_ **   
**_instantly be set aflame after this action  takes place, so that your blood cannot be used for_ **   
**_illicit purposes. Gringotts will be magically notified  when the letter burns._ **

**_May your enemies tremble before your power,_ **

**_Ragnok, Head Goblin to Gringotts Bank._ **

Hermione was leaning over the table slightly, looking at the letter curiously.

He shrugged. "Apparently, the Headmaster took something from my vault years ago and had a time frame to return it once he was removed from the position as my Magical Guardian. He never returned it and now owes both Gringotts and I one thousand Galleons each. I'm supposed to summon the object."

"Honesty," Hermione huffed, folding her arms. "That man is not what I thought he'd be. Not at all!"

"No. It just goes to how that not everything is as it seems and that the world isn't just black and white."

Harry grabbed the knife he wasn't using and applied a small amount of pressure on his palm, wincing slightly. The blood dripped onto the small circle at the bottom of the parchment and he said, "' _Recipio_ , Potter Family Invisibility Cloak'."

The letter burnt instantly and a heavy weight appeared on his shoulders.

"Harry?" Hermione asked suddenly. He looked up to see her head swiveling in different directions as sh repeated his name.

"I'm right here."

She jumped and looked to where he was sitting. Her eyes were scattered and not focused on anything.

"Hermione, I'm sitting right here."

She reached out and poked him, gasping when her finger touched his forehead. She then grasped something and pulled and Harry suddenly felt cooler. Pooling in his lap, was a shimmery, liquid like cloth.

"So that's an Invisibility Cloak," he commented, looking at it.

"I've read about those!" Hermione said excitedly. "They're really rare and difficult to make. Generally, they wear away after years, because the fur of a Demiguise will lose its invisibility and will dull. How old it is?"

Harry shrugged, "It says, Potter Family Invisibility Cloak. It must be old."

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something, but refrained.

The rest of the meal passed without incident.

 

Loki was curled on his bed, watching as Harry worked on his assignments.

§ _ **The Invisibility Cloak will be useful later on,**_ § the snake hissed.

Harry nodded and asked, § _ **How are you going to absorb the soul piece in the diadem?**_ §

There was silence and then Loki's head swiveled in his direction and he could swear, the snake frowned.

§ _ **You have no idea, right?**_ § Harry asked with a wry grin. He couldn't blame the other after what the Goblins had informed them about reabsorbing Horcruxes, it seemed almost impossible.

§ _ **Truthfully, no. I'd have to be remorseful for the the deaths I caused in order to reabsorb the other pieces, but since I personally only made the diary and the ring, I cannot feel remorse for something I did not do. I can feel pity for those souls that were lost under Voldemort's hands, but I cannot personally feel remorse from those murders.**_ §

Harry stopped writing to think about it. That was very true. How would Tom be able to collect them and absorbs them, if he wasn't remorseful? And he could possibly feel bad but since he actually didn't do it, he couldn't be arsed to care.

They sat there, contemplating this.

§ _ **If we do find a way, can we not destroy the diadem while doing so. I like it and it shouldn't suffer because the future you is an idiot,**_ § Harry said.

Loki looked ready to start a debate, but Harry cut him off. § _ **You can't say that he isn't an idiot. He became a Dark Lord, which even you said wasn't supposed to happen, and he lost his humanity along the way. He's a loon, gone over the moon and must be taken down soon. Pardon the horrid rhyming, but it's true and no amount of denial is going to make it not true.**_ §

The extremely large snake hissed lowly and didn't answer.

Harry shrugged and continued working on his assignment. That could be a problem.

Nicolas Flamel stared down at the letter that had his name on it. He wasn't expecting any post in the coming days. Quite frankly, no one ever wrote he or Perenelle. They weren't considered important figures any longer, so there was no true need to visit or speak with them.

With a wave of the hand, he ascertained that it wasn't tainted with Dark Magic or any unsavory spells. He sighed and opened the red, waxen seal on the back.

The letter popped out of his hand and levitated. It was a howler.

There was a sound of a throat clearing, before words came out of the configured mouth of the parchment.

_**Dear Mr. Flamel,** _

_**I am a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I have come across** _  
_**something that I have been reassured was yours. I even did the research necessary** _  
_**in order to prove the words correct and I am certain that they are.** _

_**My friend and I are very dedicated to our studies and we were searching for an empty room** _  
_**to practise our practical work for classes. Instead, we found a room with an enormous mirror** _  
_**inscribed with the words, 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi' at the top.** _

_**When I said the words aloud and my friend immediately translated them, a bright light** _  
_**appeared and a small bundle was left behind. The object that was inside is very nearly blood** _  
_**red and if the person reading this is indeed Nicolas Flamel, he will know exactly what it is.** _

_**Now sir, please write me back what you'd like to do with it. I do not trust Albus Dumbledore,  
seeing as he has been a rather large failure in my life thus far. ** _

_**Patiently awaiting your reply,** _

_**Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter.** _

_**Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter.** _

_**Heir Apparent to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black.** _

Nicolas watched as the letter settled on the table and ceased movement.

Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, had found the Philosopher's Stone in the Mirror of Erised and didn't trust Dumbledore enough to give it to the man. What did Albus do?

He sat back and sighed. An important artifact that could make anyone wealthier than the collective amount of gold in Gringotts' main building and made someone's body stay young for an unprecedented amount of time, was currently in the hands of an eleven year old boy, who didn't know what to do with it.

He counted himself lucky that the boy wasn't greedy enough to never say something.

Albus had removed it from Gringotts and placed it inside Hogwarts, but in a place where it was easily discovered by a child of all people! Was there something wrong with him?!

" _Cher_?"

He looked over and sighed once more. "Nelly, Albus has…"

She frowned, "I  _knew_ you shouldn't have given it to him!"

He couldn't argue with that, seeing as his most prized piece of work was in the hands of a child.

"He lost it, but I know where it is."

She stomped on over and snatched the letter off the table. A moment later, she gave him a look that told him all he needed to know. He was wrong and she was right. This happened far too often for his liking.

"You are lucky that this little boy is so respectable. Especially if he knows what it can do and still intends to get your input."

Nicolas nodded, agreeing with her.

"I'll have to ask for it back. If Albus doesn't know that it has gone, then no one else will and it seems it's best protected here."

He sat forward and proceeded to write out a response to the child.

Harry stared at the letter. With a confirmation of his golden glasses, he knew it wasn't dangerous to open.

**_Dear Mr. Potter,_ **

**_Thank you for informing me of what you've found. Not many people would think of  
returning it after finding something such as that. Very respectable of you. _ **

**_If you could hold it on your person until the end of your first year and possibly meet me in_ **  
**_Gringotts' Britain Branch in Diagon Alley the day after, that would be grand. I know it is very_ **  
**_difficult for a young man at your age, but if Albus doesn't even know it's gone, it would be_ **  
**_best that I don't show up to the school to retrieve it. My wife didn't want me to let him protect it_ **  
**_and now I can see why._ **

**_I thank you for contacting me and I hope our future interactions are blessed by magic._ **

_"La parfaite valeur est de faire sans témoin ce qu'on serait capable de faire devant tout le  
monde"- La Rochefoucauld_.

_**Yours truly,** _

_**Nicolas Flamel.** _

Harry nodded and burned the letter instantly. He could do that. It shouldn't be too difficult.

He smiled reassuringly at Hermione, who looked worried.

"It's all worked out," he said, resuming his eating.

* * *

**A/N: Another one is done!** _"La parfaite valeur est de faire sans témoin ce qu'on serait capable de faire devant tout le monde"-_ La Rochefoucauld. ' _True valour is to do in secrecy what you could just have easily done before others. ' source -_ _multilingual (space, dot com)_

**How was it? Let me know!**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Let me know!
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	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The year ends quickly.  
> Quirrellmort appears.  
> Harry gives the Philosopher's Stone back to Flamel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 3rd September 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.

The cover I finally made for this story.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

It was Hallowe'en. The entire castle was done up in ridiculous decorations. According to an older Slytherin, the staff waited until evening before breaking out the best of the best. Harry even heard rumor that there was never any actual food on Halloween. Just mounds and mounds of sweets and chocolates lining the tables. Loki proved this claim true when he warned Harry against eating too much sugar, which the boy promptly scoffed and rolled his eyes. He wouldn't eat too much.

By that he would probably be eating enough to rot his teeth from his skull. It was a good thing that there were potions to regrow teeth and such. It was cheating in a way, but he for once would like to indulge in something he didn't get to have much while growing up.

Hermione suffered the entire meal, because she did not like to eat sweets. So nothing there except the apples, could be eaten. And even then it went against her upbringing simply because her parents were dentists and it was unhealthy in many ways to consume so much sugar. She sat in her seat and painstakingly took a knife to the chocolate covered apples, hoping to get as much chocolate off as she could. Harry, being the even generous friend who detested waste of any sort, gladly took the remains and gobbled them up without mercy.

Halfway through the meal, the doors were thrust open and in rushed Professor Quirrell, screaming at the top of his lungs. And judging by how low his voice was and the stutter that usually accompanied anything he said, it was a big deal. "Troll! In the dungeon! Troll in the dungeon!" He made it halfway down the middle aisle, when he froze and said, "Though you ought to know," before collapsing in a dead faint.

Two seconds of silence passed by before the entire Hall was filled with screams. Hermione looked nervous and Harry looked around for Loki, only to realise that he was nowhere to be found. Malfoy was panicking and Zabini was trying to snap him out of his worry with words about being a good Heir to the Malfoy family and how weak he would look if he didn't collect himself once more.

Dumbledore finally got his head on and announced for the Prefects to escort the Houses to their dormitories. Harry had to pause and think about that. There was supposedly a Troll in the Dungeon, but he wanted to send the Slytherin students exactly there? And the Hufflepuff's had to go in the exact same direction before they split off for the Basement. Was he daft?

With a roll of the eyes, Harry grabbed the large bowl of apples and dumped the contents into his satchel for his and Hermione's benefit later on. He then grabbed Hermione's hand and lead her from the Hall quietly, while everyone else rushed and screamed about.

They were merely a corner from the corridor where the Slytherin Common Room entrance lay, when Harry paused mid step. Hissing. A lot of hissing was coming from his right.

§ _ **Hadrian! Your Longbottom is about to be killed by a Troll! There is a Troll roaming about the school and while I don't know how it managed to get inside, it's unsafe for the students!**_ §

Hermione was worried immediately when she heard Loki's frantic hissing. "What is it, Harry?" she asked as the serpent slithered toward them as fast as his shrunken body could manage.

"Loki says that Neville is down here and with the Troll!"

"Well, let's go find him and get him away from it!"

The two nodded in unison and Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak from his satchel. Once they were covered sufficiently, they made their way down the corridor, opposite to the Common Room entrance.

§ _ **Hurry, Hadrian! One person facing a Troll would require at least fifth year knowledge and the boy's wand barely works as it is!**_ §

They rounded the corner and Harry's nose wrinkled in distaste. The whole corridor reeked. At the very end, was a large green figure, brandishing a wooden club above it's head. It was large, fat, and slightly covered in warts. It swung, narrowly missing a black blob that was cowering on the floor in front of it.

"Ah!"

Neville was backed up against the wall, looking terrified and slightly ill as he huddled into himself.

Harry reacted without thinking and pulled off the cloak while whipping his wand in the creature's direction, yelling, " _Carpe Retractum_!"

A long burst of orange light shot from his wand and wrapped around the Troll's neck in a tight bind. The creature swung around and tried to break the hold, but it was too even between them. Harry's spell was being fought off by the creature's natural strength, leaving them to play a dangerous game of tug-of-war until something or someone intervened.

Harry grunted. "Hermione, try to levitate his club away from him!"

Harry was not physically stronger than a Troll. The things were all brawn and no brain, so obviously when the thing finally decided to yank on the orange whip, Harry was pulled in its direction, dragged across the stone floor as if he was a feather.

Hermione - bless her heart and soul for practicing her magic so much - managed to use the levitation charm to pull the club high above the creature's head.

Neville had taken the chance to crawl away in the middle of the madness, removing himself from danger as quickly as possible.

Harry only waited until his friend passed his form, before relinquishing his hold on the charm holding the Troll. He rushed to his feet and raised his wand. In a quick forward wave, he sent a strong curse at the beast's head. " _Expulso_!"

The curse wasn't strong enough to make the Troll explode, unfortunately. It was enough to blast the thing into the wall however. Once it collapsed, Hermione released the levitation and the club dropped, slamming into the creature's head.

It didn't move.

Harry turned to see Hermione putting a comforting arm around Nevile's shoulders.

§ _ **Good work,**_ § said Loki, slithering over to his side. § _ **I didn't think you'd fare so well so soon, but I suppose with someone like me tutoring you, it was only a mater of time before you advanced beyond your yearmates.**_ §

He looked down, seeing Loki slithering up to him. § _ **How did you get out here? You were with me at the feast and when everyone was panicking, I noticed that you had up and disappeared.**_ §

§ _ **I am faster in this form.**_ § Not a very detailed response.

A clacking against the marble floors sounded around them, and then three professors rounded the corner and McGonagall, who was in front, gasped, clutching her hand to her chest.

"Oh, my Merlin!" She looked between them and waved her hand frantically. "Explain yourselves!" she demanded.

Harry stepped right as he gathered his cloak from the ground and slipped it into his bag. "It was my snake, Loki, professor."

"What?"

He nodded. "I had noticed he was missing from the feast and it didn't worry me until we were in the corridor where the Slytherin entrance is. I heard him hissing that 'my Longbottom' was about to be killed by the Troll. And I'm just going to say that telling the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs to go to their Houses when the Troll was alerted to be in the dungeon, which is _near_ the entrances to either House, wasn't a smart idea."

He and Hermione shared a wince in that. Truly, it was stupidity in its finest.

He continued on. "Normally, it would be best to leave the situation to the professors, but none were around and it was Neville. Not to say that he can't defend himself or anything. It's his wand. It isn't his and it didn't choose him. It was his father's and it doesn't channel his magic at all. The only classes he does good in, are Astronomy and Herbology, because he doesn't need to use a wand during them. Potions is due to fear, not ineptitude.

"I couldn't just let my friend get killed. There was no choice and I wouldn't have done differently."

He waited as his Head of House, the Deputy Headmistress and the Defense professor, stared.

Snape looked toward the Troll. "Did you feel you have the power to defeat a Troll?"

Harry shrugged. "I've memorised up to third year curriculum and Hermione isn't too far behind me. We've mastered a lot of magic that first years wouldn't dream of knowing. I was confident that we could distract it and seeing as my  _Expulso_ wasn't strong enough to kill it, just knock it unconscious, I'd say we did pretty well."

"And the magic that was used?" the dour man inquired.

"I used the seize and pull charm first. Then I asked Hermione to get the club away when it began reeling me in. She used the levitation charm. Finally, I used the Expulso curse to knock it into the wall and Hermione dropped the club on its head."

"And where did you learn such a curse?"

"A book I read."

Truth. And it was only mentioned. Tom explained in greater detail what it did.

McGonagall frowned, "That is a dangerous dark curse to be learning, I will need to confiscate that book of yours."

Harry shook his head, "No. I bought that book in Diagon Alley and I had to hunt down what exactly the curse did. It has not been considered dark magic in fifty years and has the same reaction that the blasting curse does. In fact, Expulso, Confringo, Bombarda, and Reducto all have the same effect with just a different name. As for danger, I know that enough power behind a simple severing charm could cut limbs off. That can be pretty dangerous if used improperly, so shouldn't Professor Flitwick stop teaching it?

Case in point, I'm not handing over my possessions unless you are willing to pay me the twenty-seven Galleons I paid to even get the book in the first place."

The woman gaped at him and he shrugged. Not a solid reason in his opinion.

Snape looked over to Neville and asked, "Why weren't you on your way to your House, Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville shivered and his lips quivered. Harry and Hermione both placed a comforting hand on his shoulders and he straightened a bit. "Ron Weasley has been pretty horrible to me lately, sir. The whole House has. They said some things and I had left Transfiguration and went to the nearest bathroom, which was in the dungeon. I stayed there for a few hours."

He looked down and then away from them all as he muttered. "I wish I was sorted in Hufflepuff. At least people there know about House loyalty."

Harry was not surprised to hear that. McGonagall however, was appalled.

"Mr. Longbottom, how could you say such a thing?!"

Harry cut in once more, because Neville needed a credible source. "I've seen how your House treats him and they make Slytherin look tame. Slytherin hasn't even spoken to Neville. The House of Gryffindor has called him a squib and they ask him why he even bothered attending Hogwarts. Ronald Weasley is behind a lot of this and the others just jump on his example. No one but Hermione or I stands up for him.

"Also, Neville is the Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom and if he were to inform his grandmother, and Dowager Longbottom were to take umbrage to anything that was said, the Weasley family would find themselves in dire straits. Whether they are on friendly terms or not."

McGonagall blanched and Snape was smirking. Probably because Gryffindor was proving not to be the amazing House everyone claimed that it was.

Neville was nodding along with Harry. "Yes. I think I should write to my Gran. She'll be wanting a letter soon anyway."

"And tell her that your father's wand doesn't channel your magic at all. If she refuses to take you to get a new one, I will take you at the end of the year and we'll get you your own," Harry added.

The Gryffindor flushed but nodded. Hermione smiled and patted his back lightly.

Loki slithered up Harry's leg and settled himself around the boy's neck with a low hiss.

Snape drew himself up to his full height and smirked. "Ten points to Slytherin for Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger. Each."

McGonagall looked put out. Like someone had dumped a bucket of chilled water on her Animagus form.

Hermione and Harry shared a small grin. Nice.

Quidditch was interesting and Slytherin tromped Gryffindor easily. It was funny to see Ron Weasley whining over it at dinner.

School moved on as per usual.

Sirius sent him a large box that was full to the brim with everything a young boy could want. A lot of sweets, plus extra supplies for school, and a bunch of books from Diagon Alley.

Sirius also sent Hermione some books on wizarding culture, for her to learn the methods Purebloods are raised to emulate. Then she could do it too.

Loki gorged himself on some mice.

The holiday was nice without so many people in the school.

 

The end of term feast came faster than expected. The exams where finished and Hermione and Harry scored highest in all of First Year, tying for first place and defeating the Ravenclaws who looked ready to keel over.

The students all knew who was the winner for the House Cup. Slytherin's point's jar had been magically expanded by the castle in order to fit the amount of gems inside it. There were enough gems to fill the other three point jars.

Dumbledore stood up and gave a speech of the year, how great it was and that hopefully the next year would be good as well.

"On another note, there was an object being guarded on the third floor, which was why I informed you all to not venture in that particular area. However it has come to my attention that someone managed to bypass all the defenses and take the item. That item is very important and if it is not returned by tomorrow morning at ten sharp, the school has been given permission from the Ministry to check each and every one of you, for this object. If it is returned willingly, no charges will be pressed against you."

Hermione and Harry shared a look of annoyance. The Board of Governors was mostly filled with Hogwarts parents and they most assuredly wouldn't grant that sort of permission.

Besides, it was foolish of him to hide something like the Philosopher's Stone in the school full of children, especially when its guards were dangerous.

"Now to award the House Cup. Hufflepuff came in last with two hundred and seventy-two points."

The Houses, sans Slytherin, clapped.

"Next comes Gryffindor, with four hundred and seventeen points."

Gryffindor clapped but they all looked dejected.

"Ravenclaw made it to five hundred and two points."

The Ravenclaws were much more mature over their loss and nodded to each other.

"And finally, the recipient of the House Cup, is Slytherin." The House exploded in applause and cheering and Dumbledore had to wait for silence before speaking again. "Slytherin managed to earn one thousand, four hundred and sixty-three points. Congratulations, Slytherin."

The banners and flags in the Great Hall all turned green and silver. Hermione and Harry shared a smile. Snape looked pleased and everyone else looked like they swallowed lemons. No one liked that Slytherin won, not that the Slytherins cared. If they did their damn work, they'd be getting points as well.

That evening, Harry sneaked out to the owlery to send a letter off to the Head of the DMLE, questioning if Dumbledore truly had the right to search every student simply because he assumed that someone stole it. He made sure to imply that Dumbledore said the Ministry was okay with it and that it sounded suspicious.

The next morning, breakfast was stopped so that everyone could be 'checked'.

The Slytherins were the first to be subjected, not that it was surprising. Only two students were searched when the doors to the Great Hall opened to reveal several Aurors that Harry had recognized from Sirius's trial and their visits with him to St. Mungo's. The woman in the center of the group was livid.

"Albus Dumbledore, what is this I hear about you using the Ministry in order to search students and their belongings?" Madam Bones demanded, hands fisted at her hips.

The old wizard paled and attempted the grandfatherly act. "Now Amelia, as Supreme Mugwump, I hold many powers and very well can exercise them if need be."

The woman scoffed. "The Supreme Mugwump heads the International Confederation of Wizards. You oversee national and international incidents and matters. Searching an entire school of children illegally, is not among your rights, I checked before arriving."

Dumbledore drew himself up, "The object that was stolen was given to me by a wizard of foreign lineage and he asked me to keep it safe for him."

"And how do you know it was stolen?"

"I set defenses for it and the object is gone."

"And what is this object? If it was of such great import, why was it placed within a school and not elsewhere?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss, I am sworn to secrecy," Dumbledore responded. "And Hogwarts is the safest place in the world."

Harry sighed and stood from the bench. "Madam Bones."

She turned to him, "Mr. Potter."

He inclined his head and took a deep breath. "Professor Dumbledore had managed to convince the famous Alchemist, Nicolas Flamel, into parting with his greatest creation - the Philosopher's Stone - under the pretenses that the Dark Lord known as Voldemort," cue terrified gasps, "is still alive and will come to take it in an attempt to gain immortality."

The entire hall sat in bemusement. Madam Bones regarded Harry carefully. "And how would you know of this, Mr. Potter?"

"Nicolas Flamel told me, himself," the boy shrugged. "He was very disappointed when I informed him that I found his greatest work in a random abandoned classroom on the left hand side of the third floor corridor. My friend and I entered the room to find the  _Mirror of Erised_  and when I read the inscription at the top a light appeared and a small bundle was resting on the floor.

"After a couple of weeks and with the help of Slytherin's portrait in the Slytherin Common Room, my friend and I deduced that it was the Philosopher's Stone. Salazar Slytherin encouraged me to write Mr. Flamel and I did so. I will be meeting him tomorrow in an agreed upon location to transfer it back to its rightful owner's hands. And I'm not apologetic to admit that he and Ms. Perenelle aren't impressed with the Headmaster, since he has only  _just_ noticed that their life's work was missing, even though it has been gone since early October."

The boy looked around as the students gaped at him.

"As for the safety of Hogwarts, I wouldn't count on that. A Troll managed to get in on Halloween and everyone knows that they are of meager intelligence, so either the wards are weak or someone let it in."

The next few moments were filled with Madam Bones reaming into Dumbledore for his idiocy and Harry happily sat back watching it happen.

 

Harry assisted Hermione off the platform and nodded to her when she asked if he'd like to come and meet her parents.

The Grangers were nice. Dr. Granger was tall and had Hermione's hair color. But Mrs. Granger had Hermione's eyes. Both greeted him politely.

Hermione explained a brief part of their year and asked if she could visit Diagon Alley the next day with Harry. She then told them about all the pure gold they had acquired and how Harry insisted that she keep it and trade it in with the Goblins. Since Goblins loved precious metals, especially if pure, she'd get a lot of funds for either books or school tuition. Hogwarts did not come cheap after all.

Dr. Granger asked why he'd be so willing to part with so much and he shrugged. "I have several vaults of my own. I don't need more money."

And so her parents agreed.

Harry situated himself at the Leaky Cauldron as James Evans again. Sirius was to be released in a week and he was fit for adopting Harry.

The next morning, Harry walked into Gringotts slowly, looking around carefully. Over by the Head Goblin's podium was a tall man with a very Dumbledore like beard, though significantly more contained and covered in jewels. He was garbed in green dress robes and looked regal. Though older, he didn't seem ancient.

Harry walked on over and greeted Ragnok.

"Heir Potter, you are here to meet Lord Flamel," Ragnok stated, gesturing to the man beside the podium. Harry nodded.

Loki hissed from his place around Harry's shoulders. § _ **I can't believe you didn't tell me about the stone.**_ §

Harry shrugged, § _ **You admitted to not being so good and no offense, but I believed you. I knew you'd use it for illicit purposes, so I never told you because I was certain that it was best for all of us in the end.**_ §

Mr. Flamel's eyes went wide. "Mr. Potter, you are more interesting than I gave you credit for."

Harry grinned lightly and pulled the Parselmagic protected bundle from his pocket. With a few hisses, the material unfolded, revealing the blood red stone to the open air of Gringotts. Silence reigned and Harry realized that all the Goblins were watching the exchange.

Nicolas accepted the stone and waved his wand over it, verifying its authenticity. He gave a nod. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. Now, I believe I owe you a debt. Anything within my power, I shall try to give it to you."

The meaning wasn't lost on Harry. A debt like that could mean a lot. Anything within his power meant a lot to a six hundred year old wizard.

Loki tightened around his neck a bit and Harry realized what he needed.

"Mr. Flamel, I need information and seeing as you have been around a while, you may know about what I'm searching for."

Harry looked to Ragnok, whose eyes went wide immediately, knowing what Harry was talking about. "Lord Flamel, Heir Potter, perhaps we should adjourn to my office. This is a very sensitive matter."

Once they were ensconced within the warded room, Harry asked the older wizard for a Wizard's Oath to not speak about it with anyone but perhaps his wife, Perenelle. He wasn't about to demand an Unbreakable Vow, he didn't know the man well enough for one.

Nicolas nodded and made the oath.

Harry gestured to Loki, "This is my friend Loki. Loki is not really an animal, he is a wizard."

Mr. Flamel's eyes lightened with recognition. Animagus of course.

"He's not just some Animagus though," Harry added.

Mr. Flamel was intrigued.

"Loki is a piece of someone. A piece that was torn off and sealed into a family ring. When an unsuspecting muggle happened upon it, Loki was given a body once more as he absorbed that muggle's life essence."

Mr. Flamel's eyes widened. He knew about Horcruxes, good!

Harry nodded, "He  _is_ a Horcrux and the original person, went on to do many great and terrible things, including making _more_ Horcruxes. The problem is, Loki only actually took part in the making of the first. We don't have that one though. If we did, he'd be able to do the ritual for it, but since he personally had no hand in the creation of the others, he can't feel remorse for something he didn't do."

Brushing a stray lock of hair behind his ear, Harry fixed the man with a sure gaze. "Do you know of any other way a Horcrux can be reabsorbed? We intend to collect all other Horcruxes and take down the wizard responsible for creating them. We can't kill him permanently until they are gone, however."

Nicolas stared at him for another moment, before clearing his throat.

"Mr. Potter, it is a common misconception among magicals to assume that the Philosopher's Stone can make someone immortal through use of the Elixir of Life. That is indeed, not true. It slows the aging process down, that is it. As you may have noticed, I have silver hair, but am not as old as you would assume. Not many frown or laugh lines. My aging has slowed, as well and my wife's."

Harry looked to the red stone in wonder. It wasn't surprising. No one had ever succeeded in making one beside Flamel, so of course no one but him would know the full effects and powers it held.

But what did that have to do with the Horcruxes?

"The Elixir stands for longevity and vitality. The person in question, would need to consume a few drops of the Elixir while in very close proximity to the other Horcruxes. The soul pieces within their presence, will be stripped from their casings and joined in the body meant to absorb them. The collected soul pieces, will ensure that the potion works to a greater extent. Since your Loki is only a small piece of a soul - a quarter to be exact, if he only made one prior to his creation - the Elixir wouldn't have been as effective, but on a more wholesome wizard or witch, the powers are stronger.

"I have only done this once and it was for a friend who made a mistake in his childhood. He made two and realized his error much later in life, but could not find it in himself to be regretful. He is still rather young and is living his life out in Uruguay, as a wealthy muggle, taking on his own properties and heirships under different names over the years, just so he could be by himself."

Harry's quirked a brow. hat was one way to go about it. And the magical world didn't know of his existence.

"Mr. Flamel, I will pay whatever you'd like, if you were to make me some of your Elixir."

Nicolas' eyes twinkled, but not in the annoying way Dumbledore's did.

"Mr. Potter, I will gift you a  _demiard_  of it just for giving me the stone back."

"Huh?"

"About half a pint, apologies."

Harry grinned. "Thank you, sir."

The Grangers walked into Gringotts the moment that Harry, Loki, and Nicolas left Ragnok's office. Harry greeted them and referred them to Ragnok immediately. Hermione toted her large trunk over to the large podium and began speaking to the Head Goblin.

The next few moments happened in a rather fast pace that Harry barely registered it all. A Pensieve memory later helped him.

Quirrell was in Gringotts, suspiciously.

He then took Hermione as a hostage and demanded to be handed the Philosopher's Stone.

Harry made a comment about how foolish it was to do such things in Goblin territory, but the man only threatened Hermione further.

Loki hissed something in his ear and the teen repeated the Parseltongue phrase, lacing his voice with magical as he was instructed.

The Goblins confirmed that it was Dark Magic, but did not fault him for it.

Quirrell's body was suddenly on fire and he released Hermione swiftly in an attempt to put it out. Harry held out his hands and summoned Hermione, watching as the witch sailed across the room and landed in his open arms.

He set her down and took up a defensive post in front of her, just in case.

Quirrell shouted and screamed. He was then in Harry's face, which the boy didn't expect.

A hand around his throat was even more unexpected. But something strange happened. Quirrell's hand disintegrated where it touched his flesh. Not one to let a good opportunity go to waste, the boy placed both palms on the man's face and watched as his face melted in on itself, turning black like ash.

As the body fell back, a dark cloud drifted up from the purple turban and began to take shape. A face. A very serpentine face appeared, with slit red eyes, slits for nostrils, and barely something to call a mouth.

" _Mon Dieu_ ," he heard Nicolas murmur in awe.

The two guards that usually stood post outside the bank, had entered when they heard the commotion. Both screamed in horror and back tracked when the face turned in their direction and laughed, shrill, loud, and downright hair raising.

" **Potter**!"

When the head advanced on him, Harry sensed a buildup of magic and turned to see Nicolas casting a wandless spell in the shade's direction. The purple light connected with the darkness and pushed it from the bank.

It gave a scream as it was forced away. Harry closed the door with Parselmagic and waited for something else to happen.

"What was that?" he finally asked the quiet room.

Nicolas looked at him and said, "That, Mr. Potter, was the main form of Lord Voldemort."

* * *

**A/N: Another one done!**

**_Demiard_ \- apparently the French equivalent of '1/2 Pin't. _Mon Dieu_ \- French for 'my God'.**

**Let me know what you think!**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Let me know!
> 
> Check out my other stories.
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr! I follow back!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gringotts problems are dealt with.  
> Letters.  
> Another Horcux.  
> Tom being Tom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 1st September 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> Stuff happens.

****

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATMERLONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

"Well damn," the young boy murmured, shaking his head. "Dumbledore managed to be right about something for once." It was still shocking to actually think about it and realise that the bastard was correct. Sure there were Horcruxes that could resurrect him, by being physically around was the kicker.

Nicolas snorted slightly and Harry grinned up at the man.

Hermione wasn't so level headed however. "Th-that was _V-v-v-voldemort_?"

"Yes. And he was absolutely as ugly as a wart on a hag's nose," Harry answered, nose wrinkled. Being 'dead' had done the wizard absolutely no favours.

And then the Grangers were converging on their only daughter, patting her down and asking if she was okay. Hermione was swept into a tight family hug as her parents tried to ensure that she was well. Especially after seeing her go flying across the room after being held hostage by a mad wizard.

Nicolas was brushing aside Harry's now messy hair, in order to see his throat, making sure that he wasn't injured. The older wizard ran his wand over the boy's neck and muttered something, before Harry noticed a cool feeling covering where Quirrell had choked him and the small bit of discomfort he felt near his voice box was gone.

"There will be no marking left behind, all is well."

Harry grinned and thanked the man. It was nice to have someone to care about his health. He was still getting used to it.

The guards finally got their wits together and approached them, asking a million question a minute.

Nicolas raised his hand and asked for silence. "It would be prudent for you to alert the Head of the British Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This is not something that can just be ignored. Make sure they bring a Penseive and inform them that both Nicolas Flamel and Harry Potter were attacked in Gringotts by a currently foreign entity that is still at large."

The two wizards fell over each other as they hurriedly left, and Harry turned to the man and said, "You lied partially."

"I twisted some facts together to make it appear more urgent. We both are well known political figures after all and our names rising from this fiasco would ensure faster assistance."

Very Slytherin of him, Harry was impressed.

Madam Bones appeared not five minutes later, five Aurors trailing behind her. She looked about the room with a stern countenance and her sharp eyes landed on Harry and Nicolas. Harry found himself wondering how Hufflepuff ever survived with her in that house. She was sort of terrifying and from what he'd seen it the past year, the rest of the Hufflepuff students were nothing of the sort.

"Mr. Potter, Monsieur Flamel, I was given a very incomplete version of the events that transpired here, would you be willing to provide a statement as well as your memories of the event? This will of course be a requirement for all who witnessed this anomaly," she said while looking down at the remains of Quirrell which were still smoking a bit. "However it is best to get everything out of the way as quickly as possible."

The wizards nodded and began their take of the events. They gave their memories when asked and watched as the Aurors went around the room, repeating the process over a dozen times. Hermione's parents were a little confused over some things, but their memories of the incident were finally extracted and Madam Bones nodded her thanks.

Hermione was finally able to get her money in exchange for the pure gold and the Grangers thanked Harry for helping their daughter.

"She's my friend and I know how much Hermione likes to study. She'd be able to pay for Hogwarts  _and_ get all the books she desires with it."

The young witch flushed, knowing that he was telling the truth.

Once the Aurors departed to go further investigate the Voldemort matter, Nicolas turned to Harry and offered to continue writing him whenever the boy wanted. Harry agreed and waved when the man used a Portkey right outside the main doors of Gringotts, in order to return home. Apparently, not many people could Apparate internationally.

Hermione was positively bouncing with excitement. "You get to write one of the most brilliant wizards of all time! Imagine if he began tutoring you!" she said excitedly. "The knowledge he must possess! The library he probably has."

"Well, not  _anyone_ can make a Philosopher's Stone," Harry conceded with a nod. "Nicolas is a Level 10 Master Alchemist, so it would make sense that he knows a lot. Besides, he's really old and old people tend to know more due to experience."

_**Hi Harry,** _

_**My Gran wasn't too happy about what happened during the year at school. She dragged me** _  
_**on over to the Weasley's House and made me explain everything that Ron had been doing over** _  
_**the year. The twins stood up for me instantly and admitted to pranking their little brother in return** _  
_**for how rude he was.** _

_**Arthur and Molly Weasley weren't happy and he was punished and is now currently in debt to** _  
_**House Longbottom. Gran plans to keep things hostile until the right moment.** _

_**Gran then took me to Diagon Alley and I finally got a good wand! It's Unicorn hair, Cherry wood,** _  
_**and thirteen inches long. Ollivander said that it was to signify loss of my innocence and a rebirth** _  
_**into my being a greater wizard. He said that I showed incredible growth this past year in order to acquire** _  
_**a wand such as that.** _

_**I think he was right. I don't feel as skittish as I used to. I think it's because of you and Hermione.** _  
_**You both were really nice to me and helped me out a lot. You proved not to be like what people** _  
_**always say that Slytherins are like. I felt brave enough to talk to my Gran about my childhood.** _  
_**I remembered what you and Hermione, Hannah, and Susan told me and I think she was really shocked.** _

_**I even got an apology! I was so happy, Harry! I never imagined I would get one and yet when her  
head bowed and she said those words, I felt lighter.** _

_**Gran said that you and Hermione are welcome to the Longbottom Estate any time you wish.** _  
_**I've never had friends before, so it's a really big deal for me!** _

_**Hope your summer started off well.** _

_**See you later!** _

 

** **

**_Dear Harry,_ **

**_Thanks to your generosity, I was able to buy every school book we'd need all through seventh year!_ **   
**_I then purchased several other books that were related. Finally, I got some extras for personal study._ **   
**_I'm ever so excited to begin the expansion into other subjects like you have. There is so much I want  
to learn and there seems to not be enough time. _ **

**_I've also been able to set some funds aside for  future pursuits, such as how much money I will carry  
on my person over each of the years at school, and how much it would take to enter into certain classes  
that I want to take during the summers when I'm finally of age to enter them. And it'll be nice to get my own   
home after school. And I'll be going into my marriage with money  of my own! I have a new vault and _ **   
****_everything!_

**_This past year had been wonderful and I'm looking forward to next year and the years to come so long  
as we're together, Harry! Thank you for being such a good friend. _ **

**_I read about Patroni in one of my new books and I really can't wait to learn such advanced magic! I wonder_ **   
**_what my Patronus will be shaped like? And will it have the same shape as my Animagus form? Since you're_ **   
**_ahead in your work, have you read about them yet and if so, have you started any possible training?_ **

**_I've become interested in Runes. Did you know that there are over one thousand applications for Futhark Runes?_ **   
**_I plan to study it more in depth during the summer. I also plan to take the Ancient Runes course for an elective_ **   
**_when third year rolls around. I also think I'm going to give Arithmancy a go because I'm good at maths and I  
feel that it is a more certain way to predict the future than looking in a glass ball. _ **

**_I hope your summer is fun! Since your godfather and you seem to get along well, everything should be_ **   
**_going along just fine! If they aren't though, don't hesitate to owl me a letter and I'll see what I can do_ **   
**_for you!_ **

**_Hoping to hear from you soon,_ **

**_Hermione._ **

** **

Sirius Black walked into the Leaky Cauldron, looking much better than the last time Harry had seen him. He was no longer gaunt and pale and he put on some noticeable weight, which was a good thing. He was all well trimmed and looking as a 'proper Pureblood' should.

Harry was sitting with Loki wrapped around his neck, watching as his godfather looked around the room for him. When stormy grey eyes latched onto him, they sparkled with excitement. In that moment, Harry could almost see the rouge underneath Sirius' face.

Harry was then swept into a hug and spun around a few times. "Pup!"

Loki hissed a slew of very inappropriate words as the world turned. Harry suppressed a giggle.

"Are you ready, Pup?"

The young Slytherin nodded.

Sirius led him out behind the Leaky Cauldron and explained that he would Side-Along Apparate Harry to their destination. The twisting, pulling sensation on his navel was enough to make Harry nauseated. When they landed, he fought hard to prevent himself from spewing his breakfast on Sirius' new clothing. Loki was in no better condition and the both of them could connect over their minute discomfort.

"You alright there, Pup?"

"I'll feel better eventually."

Sirius took on a very serious expression then. "I forewarn you now, this is the Black Family Ancestral Home. I am Secret Keeper and I refuse to allow its location to reach Dumbledore. He has made a lot of mistake and I will not have him trying to control me or you. Not after everything that he has done or failed to do. We can't afford for him to meddle any further than he already has."

Harry nodded, understanding the need for privacy. Seriously, the old man didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word.

"Also, there is a House Elf. You've read about them, correct? Good. Anyway, his name is Kreacher and he has been thoroughly bred in the ways of House Black. He does not approve of anyone who isn't Pureblooded and blood traitors are the bane of his existence. He will follow yours and my orders, as I am Lord and you are Heir, but he will not do so courteously. He'll comply with your wishes and then mumble derogatory terms about under his breath. I will not lie, I really hate him. Unfortunately, we need a House Elf to help fix the house, otherwise it will take us ages to fix it up ourselves.

"On another note, there are wards that prevent the Ministry from tracking magic being done within the premises. Even without the Fidelius Charm in place, they wouldn't be able to locate the magic or the user. Certain family magics are far too powerful for even the Ministry to go up against."

Harry and Loki shared a look. That was a mighty useful piece of information.

"Another warning for you is that my mother had a portrait of herself made up and permanently placed on the wall. She is loud and annoying and screeches for hours on end about blood traitors befouling her house and such. Try to ignore her, though I know it'll be difficult. If we can find a charm to remove her, she'll be gone, I promise."

Sirius led him from a small enclosed park, and into a muggle neighborhood. The townhouses all looked the same, with high bricked walls and little steps in front of the doors. It was a lot more welcoming that Privet Drive had been and the buildings looked less pretentious. Though that could be because of the lack of yards that had been done up unnecessarily.

Sirius stood in the center of the street and stared at a wall for like a minute, before Harry realized what was going on. The building was literally splitting apart. There were numbers. Eleven and thirteen, but no number twelve. And yet when the building stopped stretching, number twelve appeared between them and a moderate sized door was in the very center.

Sirius turned to Harry and said, "The entrance to the Black Ancestral Home is located at 12 Grimmauld Place, Islington England."

Before Harry's eyes, a silver knocker appeared on the door. No doorknob though.

Sirius grabbed the knocker and rapped once on the door.

" _Password_?" came a very whispery tone.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Padfoot murmured.

The sound of clicking filled the space, before the dark door swung open to reveal a lit corridor, with walls covered from ceiling to floor in portraits. The portraits watching them closely as they entered the building, sneers on their faces. The door shut behind them and when Harry turned around, he couldn't find it. It was gone.

When he turned to face Sirius, he saw the older man holding a finger to his lips. The universal call for silence. He nodded, though he didn't understand.

They walked down the corridor slowly and nearly ran into a House Elf, who immediately greeted Sirius as 'blood traitor master'.

The drapery on the wall beside Harry's head, parted and poor Harry and Loki were subjected to Walburga Black's strident voice in crystal clear surround sound.

Everything was a bit of a blur as Harry tried to pick himself up off the ground. Loki was hissing in one ear, Walburga Black was yelling and Sirius was very close to matching her decibel of choice.

Harry stood back, unsure of what he should do. Intervene, let it be, or just watch?

Loki made a choice for him.

§ _ **Silencio!**_ §

Both Sirius and Walburga froze and turned to Harry in confusion. The pre-teen sighed inwardly, knowing that he'd have to play along.

"Honestly, first year Gryffindors are more mature than you both."

Walburga gasped in horror while Loki snickered in his ear. Sirius simply looked put out. "I was a Gryffindor!"

"And times change, Padfoot. Gryffindors are rather annoying these days and a lot of them argue with the people in the other Houses like you two currently are."

Loki nodded, § _ **Exactly. Now you finally see what I was getting at. I was not wrong.**_ §

§ _ **No, you were just being spiteful over a simple House rivalry. I gained this opinion on my own, and without your help, thank you very much,**_ § Harry told the serpent quickly.

Walburga, Sirius's mother's portrait, gaped at him. Probably because of the Parseltongue.

Tom was sitting on Harry's bed, staring at the diadem. Beside it was the Gaunt Ring.

"I was going to use the Founders' items, so this leaves the locket of Slytherin and the cup of Hufflepuff. The sword of Gryffindor would never become a Horcrux due to Goblin magic."

"And me," Harry added. He was sitting across the Slytherin Heir.

Tom looked up, forest green eyes locking with Avada orbs. "Yes."

"Harry! Dinner!"

Both looked to the door and Tom was shrinking, returning to his snake form as Sirius' clomping feet sounded, coming up the steps.

Harry had the diadem under his pillow and after a split second, slipped the Gaunt Ring onto his left index finger. He was shocked when the small piece of metal shrank to fit his finger better and that it warned immediately.

Sirius burst through the door then, grinning widely. "Come! I went out and bought muggle takeaway."

"Does that mean that magicals have takeaway as well?" Harry asked as he stood from his bed.

"Yeah. I never really liked their poncy dishes though."

The boy flicked his long hair over his shoulder and lifted Loki to his neck, allowing the shrunken serpent to wrap around him. He then followed his godfather down to the kitchen.

After a full meal of food Harry had never had before, Indian cuisine, he thanked Sirius for the food and left to return to his room.

Before he could make it to the staircase, Walburga's drapes parted ways, leaving Harry within view of the woman within the portrait.

"Boy, your name?"

She wasn't yelling. Not… yelling. Miraculous.

"Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter. Slytherin. Going into my second year."

She stared at him long and hard. "Call the Elf."

He frowned but did so, "Kreacher."

"Nasty, Halfblood master calls Kreacher?" said Elf asked as he popped into existence right beside Harry.

Harry gestured to Walburga, who straightened herself up and squared her shoulders. "Kreacher, give him the locket."

The Elf gasped, eyes going incredibly wide, before nodding and popping away. He returned a few seconds later, holding out a piece of fancy, golden jewelry to Harry.

"Since you are a Parselmouth, perhaps you shall be able to dispose of the Dark Lord's locket," the woman sniffed, looking positively arrogant. "It is one of the most filthy creations I have ever laid eyes on. Such defilement of the great Slytherin's precious heriloom is disgusting. Take it away."

Loki rose up from his neck and a long hiss sounded from him. § _ **Slytherin's Locket! A possible Horcrux!**_ §

Harry took the object that they had been talking about not even an hour previous and couldn't help but gape in awe. How convenient. He looked up to Walburga and nodded. "I had already been made aware of his Horcruxes and have already stared the hunt for them. Thank you, madam."

Tweaking the truth wouldn't hurt anyone. Not in the least. She believed him anyway and nodded to him. "Close the curtain, Kreacher."

Back in his own room, Harry was barely able to place the new Horcrux on his pillow before Loki uncoiled from his neck and transformed as he fell to the bed. Tom landed on the mattress and he was looking at Harry is obvious delight.

The boy wasn't prepared to be swept up into strong arms, nor was he ready to be twirled around several times.

§ _ **The hunt has just become easier!**_ § Tom hissed happily. § ** _This will shorten our time for searching immensely!_** §

§ _ **Could you put me down now?**_ § Harry asked, getting dizzy.

Tom set his down gently and plucked the locket out of Harry's hand and fished the diadem out from under the pillow. § _ **All we need is the diary and the cup!**_ §

Harry just shook his head and moved over to his stuffed bookcase to choose something to study. Runes or…

§ _ **Hadrian, it is time you learned to take advantage of your looks.**_ §

The boy froze.

What?

* * *

**A/N: Another one done!**

**How was it? Let me know.**

**Check out my other LV/HP fics!**

**See ya!**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHECK OUT MY MANY OTHER TOMARRY/HARRYMORT FICS!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 5th September 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> The wizarding world knows about Voldy now.

** **

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter,**

**I have no beta,**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK!**

* * *

Tom watched as Harry whirled around to face him, his little face a perfect blend of worry and confusion. Avada eyes wide and lips parted in shock. Tom smirked in return, amused by how open Harry's face still was. Such innocence was difficult to get rid of after all.

" _What_?" the boy asked in a breathless tone.

Tom's brow twitched at the sound, but he did not say anything. He simply stared at the boy.

Harry was nervous, obviously. He didn't understand what Tom had meant. He was also wondering if Tom was feeling well. How sweet that Harry was always considering others before himself. Tom needed to get him out of that habit and quick.

"You will learn to use your appearance to get what you want," Tom clarified with a smirk.

"Why?"

"Hadrian," Tom began, making sure that his voice was soft so as not to worry the boy any further, "there are things you can do with your appearance. With certain aspects accented, you can pass for either a girl or a very pretty boy. Depending upon the situation, either could help you later on in life. I intend to teach you how to take advantage of this blessing."

Harry glanced to his left, an instinctual reaction. Tom had noticed that it was something Harry did when he was faced with a problem or something confusing. He usually sought out answers by looking to the person closest to him, which usually was either the Granger girl, or Tom himself. But there was no one there and he noticed how Harry's eyes got a little wider. Slightly scared now.

So Harry's eyes darted to the side quickly and then returned to the former Horcrux. Lips pursed and shoulders squared a bit. He was drawing his courage. He could have been a Gryffindor, yet he wasn't annoying enough if Tom was being honest.

"Why would you know about that?"

Tom smirked in response. "Why, Hadrian, I do believe that I informed you that I too was androgynous. Still could be, if I tweak a few things first and don't speak." He'd made full use of his appearance all those years ago and felt no regret for his actions.

The boy did not say anything further, he just stared up at Tom.

Tom made a show of sitting imperiously on the bed, crossing his right leg over his left and folding his hands atop his elevated knee. "So impress me, Hadrian. I shall critique your performance and then we will work on how to train you properly."

Harry stared for another moment, before sighing. He turned to his wall length mirror and waved his right hand over his head. His long black locks lifted and began twining into one long plait behind the boy's head. Another wave of his hand and hair sprouted from the crown of his head, falling forward and covering his brow. He'd just given himself a fringe in seconds.

Tom quirked an interested brow. So the boy could make his hair grow willingly. A useful skill. Could he change the color or the style? Tom had never managed to do that without using verbal spells. It was a more Metamorphic ability when done without spells.

Harry turned back to him and tilted his head ever so slightly. The angle was perfect, Tom realized. Harry's eyes shone like the killing curse, contrasting his milky skin and dark hair. The little tilt was enough to give him an air of innocence that was difficult to look away from. Harry looked like a defenceless little girl and the image strangely made Tom feel protective. He'd always wanted a daughter. Boys were too annoying, but a little girl would be different. He'd always noticed how much more tolerable girls were as opposed to boys and he decided he wanted a daughter. And Harry standing there, looking decided feminine, made him wonder if his daughter would look similar. It also made him want to coddle the boy, which not a natural reaction from Tom of all people.

Harry took a step in his direction, breaking him from his musings. He watched as the boy came closer, until he was able to place both small hands on Tom's own hands. Avada eyes stared deep into him, like they were seeing his very core. He remembered stories he read about magicals who could read the intent of the heart by gazing into one's eyes. Perhaps Harry possessed that particular ability.

"Tom?"

Hesitant and lightly spoken. More like a whisper across the small distance between them.

"Tom, you know you're my best friend, right?"

Little hands clasped his tightly, Avada eyes filled with earnest intent.

He was intrigued. Where was Harry going with his line of thought?

"Tom, will you please teach me how to be an Animagus?"

Ah! That was where he was going.

Tom had a mild flashback to several months ago.

" _Why can't I start learning to be an Animagus now?" Harry asked, eyes beseeching Tom to answer truthfully. "Hermione mentioned it in her letter and it sounds bloody awesome! I want to do it too."_

_Tom sighed, "You are powerful for your age, it is obvious with your level of skill and proficiency. However, you are still a child and are a lot smaller than normal children. Children have small magical cores alreayd and yours was overworked for years due to trying to keep you alive and healthy. By the time you are seventeen, your core will have grown enough in strength for your body to reach full maturity. By then, when your inheritance comes, your core will finally reach its intended size._

_"Because your core isn't strong enough yet, Animagus training could severely deplete your reserves and could possibly kill you. I started in my fourth year and I will not teach you until you reach your fourth year as well."_

_Harry pouted, but nodded his understanding. "Okay."_

_He had known that the boy was disappointed, but he wans't going to rink Harry's health all because the boy was like his protege._

Tom gazed at the child in front of him. Those eyes were looking at him imploringly. Begging him to conceded to the child's request. He was faintly amused, knowing that if he was anyone else - except perhaps Dumbledore and the Head of Slytherin house - he'd have fallen for the little act.

It was an impressive piece of acting, for someone who was put on the spot. A very Slytherin way to go about things.

Unnaturally long, dark eyelashes fluttered a few times. Harry was putting all he had into his little display. Fortunately not going overboard.

"Hadrian, you get a seven."

The boy's act dropped instantly and he leaned back, folding his arms, lips pursed. "Out of how many points?"

"Ten," Tom smirked. "Since I already knew this was an act, I was prepared to handle whatever it was that you would ask for. You could use a bit of help in dressing for the role. Don't flutter your eyelashes so much. However your innocent act was on point. Your eyes are a very big distraction and can help you get what you want faster. We'll have to do a lesson on eye make up."

The boy sighed, "Okay then. How do I best maximize my...  _cuteness_?"

 

** **

**TERROR AT GRINGOTTS!**

**My dear readers, let me inform you of the terrifying incident that occurred within Britain's  
very own Gringotts Branch** (Main Branch… Gringotts Stronghold… see page 3A) **. On 14 June,**  
**seventeen living beings were assembled within the main floor of Gringotts' Main Branch.**  
 **These seventeen beings were witnesses to a very strange and possibly dangerous event.**

 **Mr. Harry Potter** (A.K.A. the 'Boy-Who-Lived'… see page 2A) **, was coming out of an office  
with Monsieur Nicolas Flamel** (Famed Alchemist and only creator of the Philosopher's Stone  
see page 2B) **, and Ragnok the Reliable** (Head Goblin of Gringotts' Main Branch… see page 2C) **.  
** **Upon leaving the office, Mr. Potter met one of his friends from school** (Hogwarts School  
of Witchcraft and Wizardry… see page 3B) **, Ms. Hermione Granger** (a Muggleborn witch who  
tied Mr. Potter for highest overall grades this past year at Hogwarts… see page 3C) **. Said**  
**young lady's parents were with her. The two conversed for the span of a minute before**  
 **the calm setting took a downward turn swiftly.**

 **Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Mr. Quirinus Quirrell** (see page… 4A) **,  
attacked Ms. Granger, holding her hostage and demanding that Mr. Potter hand him the  
legendary Philosopher's Stone. Mr. Potter refused and warned the man that doing such a  
thing within Goblin territory would cause problems. When he refused to remove himself from  
Ms. Granger's person, Mr. Potter lashed out with ** **wandless**   **magic, setting the enemy wizard  
on fire and then ** **summoning** **Ms. Granger from all the way across the room!**

 **Mr. Quirrell did not take this idly and attacked Mr. Potter physically, but when his skin made  
contact with the young wizard's own, he began to ** **disintegrate** **. As the wizard's body melted**  
**on itself, a dark cloud rose from the turban on his head. What was only described as a pale,**  
 **serpentine face with slits for nostrils and slitted crimson eyes, formed within the shroud of**  
black.

 **The inhabitants of the bank were immediately overtaken with worry and some with fear,  
as this form was strikingly similar to that of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named** (the Dark Lord  
V********… see page 4B) **. Monsieur Flamel even confirmed that it was the 'main form' of**  
 **You-Know-Who!**

 **This specter - assumed to be the Dark Lord - faced Mr. Potter and in a booming, angered  
tone, yelled, 'Potter!'. Monsieur Flamel was quick to take action and used an impressive  
amount of ** **wandless** **and** **nonverbal**   **magic to force the 'creature' from the bank's premises.**

**Magical Law Enforcement was called in moments later and gathered all data of the event from  
the patrons and Goblins who witnessed it.**

**This reporter managed to meet Monsieur Flamel in person and ask why he believed that this**  
**'shade' was You-Know-Who. He admitted to Mr. Potter confiding in him some very important**  
**pieces of information over the past year. The two managed to conclude through a rigorous**  
**process, that You-Know-Who participated in one of the most vile, and evil rituals known to  
exist.**

 **In essence, the ritual is used in order to gain immortality. A brief description involves the murder**  
**of an innocent and then ripping part of the soul away and sealing it into a vessel of one's own**  
**choosing. This evil object then ensures that the person who used the ritual can not be killed in**  
**any way, lest the object be destroyed, which can then only be done by the darkest of magic.**

 **Mr. Potter and Monsieur Flamel believe that You-Know-Who made one of these objects and that**  
**his spirit was forced to roam the lands when the killing curse that scarred Mr. Potter, rebounded**  
 **and destroyed his body instead of killing him, ejecting the remaining piece of his soul in the  
process.**

**It is a very plausible possibility and with the events that occurred within Gringotts, I'm inclined  
to agree.**

**Dear readers, I caution you to beware. If You-Know-Who is somehow out there traveling around**   
**in a wraith-like form, he may try to possess you! That was what happened to** **Quirinus Quirrell.  
True possession by means of dark magic always kills the body being possessed and Mr. Quirrell**   
**has already been committed to the earth by the Aurors.**

**We can only hope that perhaps Mr. Potter and Monsieur Flamel might think up a way to rid the  
world of the Dark Lord, once and for all.**

**Until then, keep yourselves keen and aware of the happenings going on around you.**

**Yours faithfully,**

**Rita Skeeter.**

_**Special correspondent to the Daily Prophet.** _

 

Harry looked over to Tom, who was staring at him. "What?"

"Skeeter has pretty much told the wizarding world that Voldemort has a Horcrux."

The boy coughed, immediately inhaling the handful of every flavor beans he was eating and choking on them. Tom thumped him on the back, helping him clear his throat.

"How did she find out?"

"Flamel. Apparently, he has decided that the world should know that Voldemort has returned and this would be the best excuse. People cannot claim that you are a liar when you have facts and very plausible reasons to back up your claims. The current Minister is known for his inaction and seems to believe that nothing bad will ever happen while he is in office."

"Oh,  _lovely_ ," the boy scoffed.

Tom hummed in agreement. "You know, I've been with you for a year now."

Harry nodded, knowing the date. " _And_?"

"You've been my little protege ever since."

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

Tom ruffled Harry's hair, making the boy wince as he tried to fix his now messy locks.

"What I'm  _saying_ , is that we should celebrate. Tomorrow, no studying."

Harry's mouth dropped. Tom wanted to take a break? He wanted to just relax and do nothing all day?

The teen smirked and pushed Harry's jaw up with a single finger. "Come on Hadrian, it isn't so surprising, is it?" he asked teasingly, forest green eyes sparkling.

The young Slytherin gulped, no shook his head. "How about I bake a cake?" he asked, already envisioning a chocolate, three tiered cake.

Tom's brow twitched with interest, "You actually  _know_ how to bake a cake from scratch?"

Harry sputtered, "I can bake or cook anything! I've had a lot of practice, don't underestimate me."

 

The Dark Lord known as Voldemort, was not a happy being. He'd been wandering for years, possessing animals and weaker beings in order to sustain himself. He'd been through some trying times in the past decade.

And then Quirrell appeared. The fool wanted greatness and willingly gave himself over in order to obtain it. Voldemort knew that once he left the fool's body, he would expire, but there was no need for the sniveling worm to know that.

Yes, Quirinus got him to where he needed to be. Hogwarts.

And then Potter came to Hogwarts… and was sorted in Slytherin! The Dark Lord had never been more horrified in his life. A Potter had been sorted into Slytherin! What the bloody hell was that scrap of fabric thinking, putting him in with the snakes?

And then it all came into light and the news spread quickly. Harry Potter was a Parselmouth and had a snake familiar. How in the world had that happened? Parseltongue was a gift passed along the Slytherin line. Only a Slytherin could possess it. So why did a Potter have such a talent?

And if Potter wasn't bad enough, a mudblood was sorted into Slytherin as well. And together, the Halfblood and the mudblood defied their Housemates and ascended to a high status among their peers. All by earning Slytherin an unimaginable amount of points every single day of the week. The snakes were so desperate to keep winning the House Cup that they left to the two outsiders alone.

And the two kept to themselves, occasionally speaking genially to the Zabini and Malfoy Heirs. Other than that, they spent time with the Longbottom Heir.

They defeated his Troll! The fact that Potter managed an Expulso strong enough to knock a Troll unconscious was enough to make the other professors wary of the boy. And for good reason.

He was unnaturally good in classes. He possessed knowledge of things that weren't taught until third year and had been found many times, tutoring the mudblood about such things. The two proceeded to defy all conceptions of first years students. Instead of branching out their interests and possibly gaining other friends, they stayed close to each other and studied. No fun like other children. They entered the Library, did their assignments, and then studied.

So much information gathering begged the questions,  _what were they studying for? Why did they need to study so much ahead of time?_

And Potter repeatedly put the old coot in his place, using blackmail that had the fool complaining at their monthly meetings. The boy was respectful to everyone else though and no one, not even Severus, could complain about him. He was diligent, hard working, and he didn't cause problems. He hadn't even received a grade below an O before. It was like looking at a mirror of himself in a way.

And he was a Slytherin!

Voldemort did not like him. He  _would_ kill the brat. But such an understanding student coming from Slytherin was like a slap in the face of the other Houses. Pure proof that Slytherin was of course, the better House.

And then Potter had his hands on the Philosopher's Stone all year! Voldemort was angered enough to going on a killing spree in the forest. The only good coming from that fact, was that the boy didn't trust Dumbledore and therefore did not give the stone to him. Not trusting Dumbledore was one of his pleasant attributes that Voldemort had to admit he appreciated.

When he tried to retrieve the stone at Gringotts, he was ejected from the building, once more stuck as a wraith.

He needed a body and soon. He had plans and they could only move forward when he had a new body. Possibly something better.

He drifted as the air currents carried him about. There!

He forced his way downward, latching onto the figure that had been strutting down a small path in the Forest of Verres. Only a fool would do such a thing, all alone.

The possession of this wizard was easy. In fact, the man was so pathetic, there was no fight. And Voldemort was able to fully take over his mind. Quirrell had some skill in Occlumency but this fool was so weak, Voldemort could control him easily.

The Dark Lord picked himself up from the ground and dusted himself off. With a wandless charm, he cleaned his golden robes. He'd have to remedy that.Such a hideous colour was not meant for Slytherin wear.

He made his way out of the forest quickly, coming upon a rather large manor, with large gardens and high walls. It was almost as grand as Malfoy Manor. Almost.

There was a pop and he looked down to see a House Elf.

"Master Gilderoy, Missy bes here to tell you that dinner bes ready."

Voldemort considered cursing the elf, but withheld the urge. He didn't know enough about this man he had taken control of, yet. He nodded and swept past the servant, heading for the manor.

Yes, he'd implement a new plan. Hogwarts needed a new Defence professor after all.

* * *

**A/N: Another one done!**

**How was it? Let me know!**

**Check out my other HP/LV fics.**

**See ya!**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHECK OUT MY MANY OTHER TOMARRY/HARRYMORT FICS!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 7th September 2016.  
> EDIT 2: This chapter was revised on 12th May 2017.
> 
> See bottom for more.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

Harry's twelfth birthday was one of the best he'd ever had. Sirius finally let him into the Black Library and he bought Harry a large supply of chocolate. Seriously, you could never go wrong with it and it had earned the man millions of more points in Harry's favour.

Neville sent him a book on deadly plants. In return, Harry sent the boy a rare plant. A Mimbulus Mimbletonia that he had found out in Diagon Alley one early morning. Neville's birthday was only a day before Harry's, so it was only fair that he spoil his friend.

Hermione sent him a book called, **Advanced Rune Magic**. She apparently wanted him to take a deeper interest like she had. The book came with a long letter extolling the virtues of educating himself in Runes and Hermione tried her very best to get his interest on the subject.

Harry smiled all day. His cake was finished in no time and he managed to sneak a piece up to Tom. Tom ate it slowly, gauging the flavor. Harry stared at him expectantly, waiting for his opinion. Rarely did people's opinions matter to him, but Tom was different somehow. His opinion mattered the most.

"It's very moist. The chocolate isn't overdone. I like it." High praise from someone who didn't eat sweets and didn't even like chocolate at all. The blasphemy was only barely ignored by Harry.

The boy grinned suddenly and waited for Tom to place the empty plate aside so that he could wrap his arms around his neck and hug him. Harry had never hugged Tom before, so he couldn't help but flush when he saw the look Tom was giving him.

"Since I am not able to get you anything tangible, I will begin teaching you all the Parselmagic that I learned."

"Tom?" Harry mumbled after a few seconds. "Do you like me?"

"What brought this on?" the teen asked, looking expectant.

"I'm a lot nicer than the other Slytherins, except for Hermione. I'm not as mean and cold-hearted as they are. I can be really Gryffindorish too and I was just wondering if maybe you didn't like that I'm not super Slytherin like you."

Tom stared at him, making the boy sweat a little.

"Did you just call me 'mean and cold-hearted'?"

Harry's stomach dropped as a cold feeling trickled down his back. "Uh… _sorry_?"

Tom's arms were suddenly pinning the boy to his chest. "That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, Hadrian."

And Harry sat there in confusion as Tom rubbed his cheek on Harry's head.

Awkward.

But Tom was _hugging_ him, so he said nothing.

 

Harry opened his bedroom door and paused where he stood. Jumping on his bed, was an unknown House Elf.

"Uh… excuse me?"

The bouncing creature turned instantly and gasped. "Harry Potter! Such an honor, it is!" the Elf said, bowing low, long nose brushing the bedding.

"Uh… who are you if you don't mind my asking?"

"Dobby, sir. Dobby the House Elf."

Harry looked around the room, putting Loki sitting on his rock by the window. Loki's forest green eyes sparkled in the light of the sun. He was staring at Dobby like the Elf was something to eat. To his snake-like mind he probably was.

"How did you get through the wards and the other protections?" the boy asked, pretty certain there were anti-apparition wards on the building. If the Ministry couldn't even get through, how the bloody hell did an unknown House Elf do it?

"House Elves can travel through any ward. Dobby wanted to see Harry Potter and Dobby has done so!"

Harry looked to Loki for confirmation and the great snake nodded.

"And, why did you want to see me?"

"Dobby has come to warn Harry Potter of course! Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year."

"Why?"

"History will repeat itself," the small being squeaked, looking frightfully worried.

That was rather vague though and Harry didn't know how it was supposed to help him in any way. "Can you explain how history will be repeated, because if I don't have a valid reason, I will still be attending."

Dobby seemed to choke up and let out a squeal. He threw himself off the bed and onto the floor, bashing his head against the wooden planks repeatedly. The constant thumping was becoming irritating and before Harry could ask the Elf to stop, Kreacher popped into the room, looking more angry than Harry had ever seen.

"Malfoy Elf invading the ancient home of the Blacks. Shame on Malfoy Elf!" Kreacher yelled, pulling Dobby off the floor, holding him by the long ear.

So Dobby belonged to the Malfoys. Hm…

"Hold on Kreacher," Harry called, holding up a hand. "He came to warn me about something. He thinks I shouldn't go back to school this year or I'll be in great danger. When I asked him to elaborate, he began hitting himself."

Kreacher sneered at the younger Elf. "Wayward Elf disgraces family by spilling secrets. Punishment deserved for breaking rules."

Harry frowned. Dobby looked terrified at the mentioning of punishment. He knew Malfoy was a bit of a prat, but he had no idea what the boy's parents were like. From the look on Dobby's face, they weren't so kind. And Harry wasn't for the whole Elves punishing themselves thing.

"Dobby, you seem very insistent upon my safety. Did this  _history_  happen recently or a few decades back?" he hedged, hoping to get more information.

Dobby's mouth opened, but then closed. He shook his head from side to side repeatedly and grunted deeply. "Decades... Muggleborn… witch…  _died_!" he gritted out.

Harry's head snapped to Loki, who was sitting up a bit more interestedly now.

Loki turned to look at him. § _ **Ask if it has to do with the Chamber of Secrets.**_ §

Harry asked the Elf and Dobby seemed to pale, large eyes going wide. He managed a nod of the head, even as his bony arms reached out toward the book on Harry's nightstand. Probably planning to hit himself with it. Kreacher didn't stop him from using it on himself and Harry sighed. He hated the violence.

"Kreacher, just let him go. I don't want the Malfoys knowing. From what I know of Draco, I would gather that they aren't too nice. He's punished himself enough and I don't want them to hurt him. He is attempting to save my life after all."

Kreacher sighed, but relinquished his hold on the other Elf. Dobby fell on his face.

"Is the great Harry Potter going to stay home?"

Harry shook his head, "Sorry, but no. I'm grateful that you would risk your safety for me, but I legally have to attend and if I don't, they would put me in Azkaban for it. And probably snap my wand too."

It was a lie. In fact, he had no idea what they would do to him, but he wasn't too keen on finding out either.

Dobby's eyes filled with tears. "Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby is not knowing that! But please, be careful!"

Harry nodded. "Thank you for coming, Dobby."

The Elf burst into actual tears and Dis-Apparated out, leaving the air with words of how great Harry was as a wizard.

Harry looked to Loki and then Kreacher. "Well that was odd."

 

Harry met up with Neville and Hermione in Diagon Alley. School shopping was so much better when you had someone with you. They even got ice cream, though Hermione denied getting any because she wasn't a fan of things that would make her teeth rot. Though they informed her that in the magical world, teeth could be regrown at any time.

They picked the wrong day to shop. Hermione 'fell in love'. Both Neville and Harry couldn't help but cringe with who she 'fell' for.

Gilderoy Lockhart was the biggest poncy git Harry had ever met. He had golden hair that was styled to the side, but obviously wavy. He had a big, bright smile full of straight, white teeth. His skin was lightly tanned and he had this laugh that was just vomit inducing.

The man screamed, 'creep'. And apparently he was going to be their new Defence professor.

Who decided that the man was going to be a good teacher? Harry already disliked more more than Snape.

None of the man's books made any sense either. The times didn't match up and were all basically useless. Harry refused to buy them, much to Hermione's disappointment. She was rather taken with the wizard, much to Harry's chagrin. He made the excuse of using her books for assignments, because he wasn't going to purchase a fraud's books. If she didn't want to listen now, she'd listen eventually and learn the hard way.

Once all business was conducted, they were able to return to the normal shopping, with Hermione rambling on about how gorgeous Lockhart was.

Lockhart ruined the rest of the day.

 

Hogwarts was a dream.

It was so good to see the school from Hogsmeade station.

When he, Hermione, and Neville went to fetch a carriage, both Neville and Harry froze in place. Hooked up to the carriage, was a horse? It was large, black, and skeletal looking. It had sharp features, reminiscent of a lizard, with black, leathery looking bat like wings. The eyes contrasted the rest of the creature, by being white.

The boys looked to each other and nodded. Yes, they both were looking at it.

"What's wrong with you both?" Hermione asked. So she didn't see it.

"Looking at that black horse thing that looks like death warmed over," Harry replied.

§ _ **Thestrals can only been seen by those who have seen death or know someone who died and have comprehended it,**_ § Loki hissed in his ear.

Harry related this information to his friends and all three winced simultaneously. It wasn't pleasant to think about.

They took their seats and promptly ignored the creatures.

The sorting ceremony was easygoing for the most part.

Harry and Hermione immediately noticed one new student. She had long blonde hair and could have been mistaken for Malfoy's sister. Until her name was called at least. They both noticed how her fellow Ravenclaws shifted away when she sat down. They shared a look, not liking such a reaction.

Lockhart was introduced and had practically the entire student body eating out of the palm of his hand. Harry was proud to say that none of the staff looked convinced, except Dumbledore.

The meal was over swiftly. Slytherin was the same as ever. He and Hermione were devising a new study schedule. With an extra half hour added onto their curfew, they'd have a chance to study more subjects.

Within a week, Harry, Neville, and Hermione had all managed to befriend one Luna Lovegood. When Harry discovered her locked in a cupboard and her belongings - including her wand - in disarray around her, he may or may not have gone to the Ravenclaw entrance after leaving her in the Hospital Wing.

Loki quickly taught him the spell used to broadcast this voice through the castle. Like a sort of surround sound that was keyed into the magic. If one linked their magic to the building, they could make everyone hear whatever they wanted. Everyone else in the castle would hear the upcoming discussion. He was going to ruin Ravenclaw one way or another and he didn't care about what happened afterward.

The riddle to gain entry was easily taken care of. He strolled into the Ravenclaw Common Room as if he had owned the place, Loki sitting high on his shoulders in order to make an impression.

Everyone within froze and turned to him questioningly.

" _Potter_?" one of the older students voiced, sharing a confused looking with his Housemates.

"People seem to assume that Slytherin is the House full of bullies who prey on the weak and innocent, but they couldn't be more wrong. We take care of our own. Those whom we care for, will always have our support. We do not air our issues to the rest of the school.  _We_  know how to control ourselves, unlike some people in this school."

A lot of them looked skeptical at his words, but he didn't care.

"You don't see us squabbling with each other, or arguing. Our business remains our business. Now, I don't know about Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, but at present, Ravenclaw looks like the House of the Bullies. The very thing that everyone thinks Slytherins embody, matches you all perfectly and I am disgusted."

"Who are you to insult us?!" someone he didn't know, sneered.

"I'm your executioner," he answered simply. Loki rose from his place and hissed, making several Ravenclaws flinch back in fear.

"Imagine how bad Ravenclaw House will look in the eyes of the other students when they find out that several upper years bullied one of their own first years. How they locked her in a cupboard with all of her destroyed belongings and even snapped her wand."

Snapping someone's wand was like blasphemy and the fact that it had been done to Luna Lovegood had sent Harry into a fit.

Several faces turned red at his declaration. Glares were aimed his way.

"No one will believe you. You're just a Slytherin and no one believes Slytherins because they are liars, cheaters, and killers. You're no better, Potter," someone sneered. "You'll be the next Dark Lord. You're already evil and you've corrupted your mudblood too."

Harry scoffed, "No Slytherin has ever called my best friend a 'mudblood'. But a Ravenclaw just did. I wonder if Ravenclaw is actually the evil House. You're all a waste of space and I can't comprehend why Hogwarts would have accepted you at all."

"What did you just sa-"

" ** _Enough_**!"

Everyone turned to the entryway to see all the professors standing there, Flitwick in the front. The little half-Goblin looked ready to spit fire, his face was so red.

"Mr. Potter, impressive work on the  _Sonorus Ubique_  charm, take ten points for Slytherin. I will take it from here," the little man said with a nod.

Harry enjoyed the looks of terror and comprehension that covered the various Ravenclaw faces. They knew they were caught.

Harry went over to stand with Snape, the man looking down at him in silent question.

Flitwick ripped into his House and Harry felt so proud to get them all in trouble. He liked it when people failed,

Once the tiny professor finished, Harry asked for his attention, wishing to say something.

"Sir, if Luna agrees, I'd like her to be re-sorted. Since Ravenclaw isn't showing the acceptance that they are  _supposedly known_  for showing, I'm sure she'd do well surrounded by bravery, loyalty, or even cunning."

It was a near hiss, but he couldn't help it. Ravenclaw had failed in his eyes and he wasn't sorry for the way he treated them.

Flitwick sighed. "If she agrees, then she may be sorted once again."

"Thank you, sir."

 

Luna joined Neville in Gryffindor. Apparently, she was already friends with the only female Weasley, so it was a relief that she had someone other than Harry and his friends, on her side.

Harry felt a lot better knowing that she would be around two people who seemed genuinely nice. And the twins would stand up for her as well, because they had good heads on their shoulders.

Classes weren't so difficult, due to Tom's tutoring. Harry ended up breezing through everything again, and decided to dedicate more time to other studies.

Lockhart was… odd.

At moments, he would be flamboyant enough to grate on Harry's nerves and in others, he was reserved and spoke evenly. The man was a contradiction. Some days he dressed in gaudy clothing ad on others, he wore black. He couldn't seem to make up his mind. Much like Quirrell.

A mental muggle disorder came to mind, but he pushed it away. There was no way that there were two people in Lockhart's head.

It wasn't possible.

 

Hallowe'en went a lot better than the previous year. No Trolls attacked and everyone was able to enjoy themselves. Harry carefully fed Loki chicken and some treacle tart during their meal that actually had food and not just sweets this time.

Hermione sipped a cup of Chamomile to keep herself calm.

The night had been fine and everyone went to bed happy.

The next morning however, things were not fine.

When on their way to Defence, the young Slytherins all stopped collectively in the corridor. Big red letters graced the wall. Mrs. Norris, Filch the Caretaker's cat, was strung up by her tail beside the message.

Loki and Harry shared a look, before staring at the message again.

_**The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir, beware.** _

* * *

**A/N: Another one is done.**  

**How was it? Let me know!**

**See ya! :D**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHECK OUT MY MANY OTHER TOMARRY/HARRYMORT FICS!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 1: This chapter was revised on 15th September 2016.
> 
> Humor.  
> Interesting ending.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

Not even a few hours after the revelation of the message, Lockhart announced to the school that he was starting a Dueling Club. Better for everyone to learn to protect themselves, now that a danger had been unleashed upon the school. The students had been ecstatic at the news. They'd finally 'learn to duel'. Harry wasn't buying it. Lockhart was pathetic and he was certain that no one would learn anything with the fol in charge of any sort of class. Even those random moments of clarity weren't enough to change Harry's opinion of him.

Hermione was damn near excited however, practically floating at the prospect of learning how to protect herself, from her crush.

Once they Harry and Loki were alone in the Room of Requirement, Harry turned to Loki with angry Avada eyes. § _ **What did you do?!**_ § he demanded, voice a lot higher than even he expected.

The snake hissed, eyes narrowing. § _ **I haven't done a thing! I've been with you most of the time and I cannot get out of the Slytherin Common Room in this form. The only thing I could think of is another Horcrux. Since you didn't open the Chamber and I didn't either it is the only viable reason.**_ §

Harry sat back and stared at the snake objectively. It was entirely possibly for it to be a Horcrux at work. They had the Locket and Diadem and Harry. Then Loki himself, who had been the Ring. So it was the Diary or the Cup. Or Voldemort got into the school again. Highly unlikely. Dumbledore wasn't that pathetic, right? His ineptitude didn't stretch that far... right?

 

Tom Riddle had every confidence that a Horcrux had made its way into the school again. Harry knew not to go down to the Chamber. The Basilisk wouldn't listen to him, even though he was a Parselmouth. So the only other possibility was a Horcrux.

But who had it?

And how would he and Harry manage to get their hands on it with as little drama or danger as possible?

Tom didn't really fancy the idea of getting hurt all because Voldemort had to be a bloody fool and ruin everyone's lives. Tom also wasn't about making things even harder on himself. So how did they investigate the situation without drawing unnecessary attention to it? Because Dumbledore was nosy and always had to shove his way into the business of other people, meaning anything suspicious would alert the old codger.

Fixing Voldemort's mistakes were becoming too tiresome in his opinion.

 

Voldemort sat back in his chair. Gilderoy was currently too weak of mind to stay awake, so Voldemort had free reign of the body. He sipped some brandy as he contemplated the recent events occurring within the school.

Someone had opened the Chamber of Secrets. Everyone had looked to Potter, knowing that he was a Parselmouth. The boy had sworn on his magic in front of the Great Hall that he hadn't opened the Chamber. Once the vow to prove himself was performed, he added that he didn't even know where it was and that the portrait of Salazar in the Slytherin Common Room wasn't too forthcoming with information.

Salazar never talked to anyone. Not even when Voldemort was in school.

So if the boy wasn't the one doing it, that meant that it had to be another. It wasn't him. But the Basilisk would only listen to the Heir of Slytherin, which meant that if a true attack was made, then it would mean that he Heir of Slytherin was controlling the breast. That could only mean…

A Horcrux had found its way into someone's possession and was doing whatever it could to continue Voldemort's objective for half a century previous. Since none of the wards he had personally placed had been tripped around the various locations he stored his soul pieces, that meant it was one he had given to someone to protect. And he had only given one away for someone to protect with everything they had.

Lucius Malfoy would suffer when he got a hold of the blond, Voldemort would make sure of it.

 

The first Dueling Club meeting was hilarious.

Lockhart wore some odd chest piece that was supposed to make him seemed threatening, yet handsome. Hermione fell for it like all the other girls, but none of the boys cared. Well, some of the Hufflepuff boys showed interest in his appearance, but beyond that, no one gave a bleedin' damn.

Lockhart just looked like a fencing ponce.

The man sauntered about the raised platform in the Great Hall and spoke 'charmingly' as he told them about how he was going to impart amazing knowledge onto them. That Snape was to be his assistant. The dour looking professor stood off to the side, glaring holes into Lockhart's head. Harry didn't blame him, Lockhart was annoying.

Lockhart then had the other professor join him in a duel. They bowed as was necessary and turned away to take the steps away from each other. Lockhart counted to  _three_  and was knocked on his arse by Snape's disarming charm. It was hilarious, because Snape's odd drawn out speech pattern made it seem as if the word itself took  _minutes_  to be said. Certainly enough time for Lockhart to counter or dodge at least. Lockhart was pathetic and the result of that farce of a 'duel' was enough to prove it.

They all watched, some with glee, as the blond professor was set sailing across the platform from the red spell that hit his chest, only to land flat on his back. There was a grunt and a few moments of twitching before the man got to his feet once again. He couldn't even find his own wand, that was how pathetic he was.

He tried to play off Snape's attack as 'too easy'. In return, Snape 'kindly' suggested that Lockhart teach the students how to block unfriendly spells or to disarm their opponents before making them duel each other.

So Harry and Zacharias Smith - a Hufflepuff and a bit of an annoying twit - had been selected to be the first duelists.

"Disarm only!" Lockhart warned.

Once the count reached zero, Harry was quicker than quick, taking Smith's wand instantly with the disarming charm.

Smith had never liked him and not because he was a Slytherin. He was supposedly of the last descendants to Hufflepuff and thought he'd be the next Merlin when coming to Hogwarts. And then he found out that the Boy-Who-Lived was starting the same year as him and no one gave him the time of day. Mostly because no one gave a shite about his unproven heritage.

The jealousy was so strong, he immediately accused Harry of cheating as soon as his wand was gone and resting in Harry's open palm.

Snape delighted in removing ten points from Hufflepuff for the brat's remarks. The poor, gathered Hufflepuffs all sighed in pity for themselves and sent their Housemate annoyed looks. Smith tended to let his mouth run and got many points off for it. Hufflepuff would never win the House Cup with him in the House. And he was so Gryffindor at times that it was wonder as to why he was among the badgers at all.

Lockhart gave Harry five points for his 'first successful disarming charm!'. If only the fool knew about Tom's existence.

In order to 'see how skilled a first year was', Harry was pitted against several other students, managing to completely disarm  _all_  of his fellow first years. It wasn't as hard as he expected, though Hermione had lasted maybe four seconds more than anyone else. But that was only because she had actually moved to the side instead of just standing in the same damn place.

Since the entire school was gathered in the Great Hall, Lockhart decided to have Harry face as many students as possible. There was an odd glint in his eyes as he ordered Harry to continue one after the other, but Harry didn't really have time to consider it. The duels had gone past simple disarming with the elder students putting up more of a fight and reminding him of Tom. Though they were much less coordinated than Tom was and their mere presence didn't unnerve him.

When he reached the fourth years, Harry knew that he couldn't mess around any longer. His knowledge had only reached to mid-fourth year level, so he couldn't be so easy going with anyone fourteen and up.

The teen before him did not smirk. Apparently, facing off against a boy who defeated three years of students made him a threat, or at least someone to take seriously.

Harry decided to switch it up. When the countdown stopped, he threw a body bind instead of his 'signature' move. Or rather, he used something other than a disarming charm this time. The fourth year dived to the side and Harry followed up with the disarming charm, succeeding in catching his opponent unawares and blasting him right off his end of the dueling platform. Harry was the winner.

Harry proceeded with caution. The fourth years had a lot more experience than anyone under their year. None had defeated him of course, which was a bit of a shock. Some of them repeatedly fell into the same trap, having gotten used to expecting him to throw a body binder and then the disarming charm. Harry was always one to mess with people to confuse them. So he repeatedly changed tactics, hoping that the older years couldn't understand what he was doing. Unfortunately, it was getting harder and harder to defeat anyone, and took much longer as time passed.

Lockhart didn't seem interested in stopping the duels either and while that was a curious realisation, Harry couldn't linger on it.

When he faced his first fifth year, Harry had to literally move for once. None of the other opponents - sans Hermione of course - grasped the concept of winning. Using anything to ensure that you won, meant even having to  _move your damn body_.

Holding his wand aloft, he quickly intoned, " _Serpensortia Maxima_!"

A rather large serpent burst from the tip of his wand. The students all backed away from the platform as Harry used Parseltongue to order the snake to attack his opponent. When the older wizard was occupied with trying to stop the snake, Harry quickly disarmed him and banished the snake back to whence it came.

The next several duels went similarly. And then Harry faced off against one Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff. He could hear the various girls sighing and giggling. The blond smiled at him genially and Harry nodded in return. No one else had done that. Not even Hermione or Neville.

Cedric was obviously leagues better than his fellow fifth years. He was quick to send fire at Harry, who pulled up a fragile shield charm that broke when the spell connected. He hadn't fully mastered them yet so it wasn't shocking that he couldn't hold it against someone more powerful. They were more difficult than the books claimed. Even Tom had issues with them still.

He summoned the snake again and was shocked when Cedric managed a  _Bombarda Maxima_  strong enough to completely annihilate the large serpent. Yes, Harry had been amazed, but he used everyone's surprise at the raining snake bits in order to launch an assault on the older wizard.

 _Locomotor Mortis_ ,  _Stupefy_ , and  _Flipendo_.

Cedric side-stepped the leg locker but was hit squarely with the stunning spell and knocked backward with the knockback jinx. He didn't get up, thankfully. Harry didn't want to deal with more elemental spells.

Harry breathed easier. Cedric was a Hufflepuff. A Hufflepuff had given him the most trouble so far. It was an amazing turn of events and it certainly made the other Houses look bad since no one ever really took the Puffs seriously. Perhaps they should start.

Harry met his match when facing against a Fifth year Slytherin Prefect. The very last fifth year for him to duel.

Carrow was a brutal duelist, staring off with a bludgeoning hex immediately and sending a nasty reductor curse his way. Harry rolled to the side. This was a fellow Slytherin. He needed to win. Or at least call a draw in order to save his pride. And Slytherins were resourceful. Anything could be a weapon when dueling and as she had been int he Slytheirn mindset a lot longer than him, she had an advantage.

Harry raised his wand used the summoning charm on the fire lit torch behind his fellow Slytherin. It ripped away from the wall and Harry used Carrow's movements to the side to summon another massive snake. He ducked behind the large reptile and pulled his Invisibility Cloak from his bag. He slipped it on and disappeared from view.

"Carrow! He has an Invisibility Cloak!" some yelled. "Get it away from him!"

The newest snake was burned alive, leaving Carrow to look around herself amidst the smoke drifting off the burning scales. Harry slow crept around Carrow, until he could see her back.

He raised his wand and cast the strongest  _Reducto_  he could manage. She had some strong instincts, because she whirled around and sent a  _Bombarda Maxima_  his way. Both spells hit their targets, Carrow and Harry both going flying, landing on the cold marble floor of the Great Hall. Harry's Invisibility Cloak had been knocked from his form and Carrow was lying face down.

The pre-teen could feel the burning sensation in his ribs. He'd been hit on his right side, near the sternum. A rib was probably broken. Not the  _worst_  he had ever had, especially thanks to Tom's training. And his back hurt from that landing! It had been strong enough to pop his back! Hopefully he didn't throw his back out because of that. He'd done that once when he was younger thanks to Dudley, and he never wanted to go through it again.

Harry hissed in pain as he struggled to sit up. Somehow he was still gripping his wand and couldn't seem to make his fingers relinquish the wood.

He heard Lockhart announce that he was the winner.

He looked over to Carrow, noticing that she hadn't moved yet.

Snape was quick to levitate both of his students up. Hermione appeared beside them, holding Harry's cloak and with Loki wrapped around her shoulders.

"You did amazing, Harry!"

"I'm injured, Hermione."

"So? Harry you took on more than half the school and won! Carrow was the last fifth year! That's like seven hundred students that couldn't beat a second year in dueling! And you insured that your were only injured by a Slytherin. In the end, it makes  _our_  House look the strongest."

She had a fair point. And Harry noticed Snape's interested gaze sweeping over them a couple of times. The man probably concurred with the witch's words.

"I guess," he relented. Now he had to tell Loki about it.

 

Severus Snape was a proud man. He had many things in his life to be proud for. Of course he also had many things that hurt his pride as well. One of those rare things that seemed to do both, was Potter.

The boy was  _amazing_. He was reluctant to admit it even to himself, but it was truth and ignoring it wouldn't make it go away. The boy had skills that no second year should have. It wasn't normal and it made something twist in Severus' gut.

Yes, he was studious and never got into mischief. Yes, he earned his House hundreds of points all the time. Yes, he was the top student in his year. But he was James Potter's son. Potter was in Slytherin House. And Potter  _thrived_ in Slytherin.

Granger had been correct. Potter defeated more than half the school in a duel. Either the Defence professors were severely lacking these past few years, which was completely possible, or Potter was just that good. Snape knew in his heart that both were completely spot on.

On top of dealing with Potter, the whole Chamber of Secrets incident was brought into the light. The boy had nothing to do with it. He even made an oath and when his magic still worked afterward, he was proven to be truthful.

So how else could the Heir of Slytherin be in the school? He was certain the Dark Lord had not procreated. Certainly no one would want to do such with him. No one but Bellatrix. So the Dark Lord had to be in the school. And that meant only one person who had been relatively new.

He glanced over at Lockhart, who was sitting straight in his chair and eating quietly. This was a difference from his usual boisterous episodes at the dinner table. He'd even heard his snakes commenting on how the newest addition to the staff seemed to switch personalities. One day he was a good teacher and the next he was horrid. And after Lockhart forced Potter into dueling half of the school without even a chance to breathe, it could only be Lockhart.

This had to mean that the Dark Lord was possessing Lockhart this time. Oh, Merlin.  _Gildemort_. He withheld a snort because he couldn't afford people to lose their belief in him being the acerbic, terrifying, Potions Master they all knew.

Did the man not give up? What did he hope to gain from invading Hogwarts  _this_ year? There was nothing special around this time. So it had to be that he was after Potter's neck again.

If the Dark Lord was setting Slytherin's legendary monster on the students, he'd have a long while to go in order to take care of them all.

Severus would need to be prepared.

 

Harry, Hermione, and Loki were on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. They were on their way back from visiting Hagrid, who told them that some wild animal was killing off the school's roosters. Hermione actually added it to the list of odd things going on recently. She was certain she'd solve the puzzle of the heir of Slytherin soon.

"Harry!"

He looked up at Hermione's frantic cry and his eyes spotted to forms in the middle of the corridor. The first was a Hufflepuff second year by the name of Justin Finch-Fletchley. He was frozen on the floor, arm slightly extended toward some unknown source. The other form was of Sir. Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington. The Gryffindor House Ghost was floating in place, his nearly severed head dangling to the side, revealing the small patch of skin that kept his head connected to his shoulders and the bloody stump from where his head used to be connected.

"What happened to them?!" the witch asked, rushing to Justin's side.

"It's not a freezing charm. It's like Filch's cat. He's been petrified somehow. But how can a  _ghost_ be petrified?"

Loki was hissing quickly, § _ **The Basilisk has been released. The boy narrowly escaped the deadly gaze by looking through the ghost.**_ §

Harry relayed this information to Hermione. She paled.

"This is not good. We need to get a professor down here. Where's the nearest office?"

"Do yo want me to fetch Snape. He may not like me but he probably won't blame us for this."

"Smart idea. I'll wait here."

Harry rushed off, leaving Loki to protect Hermione in case someone showed up.

He pounded on Snape's office door and didn't really care about the glare the man gave him when he opened the door.

"Potter! Why are you disrupting me?!"

"Professor, Hermione and I were just at Hagrid's having tea. He told us that the school roosters were being killed by some animal. On our way back for dinner, we came across a second year Hufflepuff and the Gryffindor House Ghost in the corridor. Both are petrified. Loki and I can hear hissing in the walls and Loki said it was a Basilisk since their gazes can petrify people if not looked into directly. It would also explain why the roosters are being killed, since their cries can kill Basilisks."

Snape stared at him for a few seconds, before closing his door. "Take me to them. Why did you fetch me and not the Headmaster?"

"I don't know his new password. I don't particularly like  _or_  trust him. Everyone else would blame us because we're Slytherins."

That was truth and he knew the man understood by the look on his face.

Hermione was waiting patiently, though she seemed to be trying to revive Sir Nicholas. Nothing she did was working.

"Professor, how is it that a ghost can be petrified? How can a antidote be administered to someone who isn't capable of taking a potion? Actually, how can a petrified victim consume the potion that will return them to normal? How will-"

"Ms. Granger, please just let me work."

The girl went quiet, though she was positively buzzing with questions. Snape levitated Justin and ordered Harry and Hermione to create gusts of wind with their wands in order to blow Sir Nicholas' unmoving form down the corridor.

Loki was hissing orders to Harry as they went.

 

Voldemort had disillusioned Lockhart's form as he approached the second floor girl's lavatory. Myrtle wasn't inside the bathroom at the moment and he was able to open the Chamber entrance. He called for the stairs and descended into the lower bowels of Hogwarts, allowing the entrance to close behind him.

He summoned the Basilisk from its home and demanded to know how it had been released.

The great serpent kept its eyes closed as it told him that  _he_  had been the one to order her to attack the students. The poor thing had been confused as to how he could 'forget' that he came to her in the body of a child and told her to attack the mudbloods.

He didn't know what to say. It had to be one of his Horcruxes then, because there was no other possible explanation there.

'Body of a child'? Which one?

He left the beast to itself.

He had to find his Horcrux. And unfortunately since he'd placed anti-summoning wards on all of them, he'd have to do everything manually.

 

Little Ginny Weasley felt sick. Her head was always hurting her and she was having blanks in her memory.

She kept forgetting important things and couldn't remember her school work. She wasn't doing any better than her brother Ron in classes and she  _knew_  that she was smarter than him, so what was wrong with her?

She thought of going to the Hospital Wing to ask for some help, but every time she attempted, something always grabbed her attention and she'd never make it in time.

Her fellow Gryffindors ignored her mostly. Except Luna and Neville. They sat with her and were really nice. Luna was so much happier since getting out of Ravenclaw. Luna also noticed that she wasn't feeling well. The girl recommended a tonic her mother used to make.

These tonics made the headaches go away, but nothing could be done for the memory problems.

Ginny sighed as she wrote in her diary.

It was a special diary. It had a name and it wrote back!

**Hi, Tom!**

**Harry Potter smiled at me today!**

**He was really nice and gave me some chocolate for Christmas.**

**He called it 'Yule' though.**

**But still, it was nice.**

Tom responded like always. He was so kind and understanding. Tom was the only person she could tell everything to. He didn't chastise her for her crush on the Boy-Who-Lived. He didn't poke fun either.

**Hello, Ginevra.**

**Harry Potter seems to be better than most would expect.**

**With him being a Slytherin and all.**

Ginny giggled.

**But Tom, not every Slytherin is bad.**

**Slytherins haven't started any fights.**

**And they don't attack people.**

**And they don't call the muggleborns horrible names.**

**In fact, ever since Harry tricked the Ravenclaws, the Slytherins have been a lot better in terms of kindness.**

**Truly, none of them have targeted anyone.**

**Not even Malfoy.**

**Instead, everyone is having issues with the Ravenclaws.**

**Though the whole heir of Slytherin business is worrying.**

Tom's answer was polite as always.

**And no one has an idea who is behind the attacks?**

**Not even an idea at least?**

Ginny was shaking her head, though she knew he couldn't see her.

**No.**

**No one seems too worried for some reason.**

**I don't think the Ministry knows.**

**I mean, I know Justin's parents are muggles, but shouldn't they know what happened to their son?**

**Especially since Justin is from a higher society muggle family.**

**His father is a Baron.**

**That's a big deal in the muggle world.**

**I was told it was part of the muggle British nobility.**

**There's a rumor that his family is distantly related to the muggle queen.**

**With how he acts, I wouldn't doubt it.**

Tom told her that the school probably wouldn't really take action unless someone actually died. Since petrification could be healed eventually, perhaps Dumbledore was keeping everything under wraps.

She frowned, thinking of what she heard of the altercation between Harry and Dumbledore at the leaving feast last year. Harry said that he didn't trust Dumbledore. Could the Headmaster really be withholding information from Justin's parents?

Dumbledore's inaction in Harry's life had been made public. It was rather well known news that Harry Potter was left to muggles who didn't like him and neglected him. That Dumbledore never bothered to check on him after illegally making himself the boy's Magical Guardian and leaving him on a cold doorstep in early November all those years ago. That he also allowed Harry's true guardian to be imprisoned unjustly. Yes, the facts weren't working well in Dumbledore's favor.

**Maybe Dumbledore isn't so good.**

**He's the reason Harry was abused by muggles.**

**Harry is as small as me still.**

**Maybe he is keeping everything quiet somehow.**

** **

 

Harry's Christmas was fun. Snowball fights, studying extra special tomes, and a  _lot_  of chocolate.

Something interesting happened at night though. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been sitting in the Common Room.

When Crabbe saw Hermione, he called her a mudblood. Everything seemed to freeze in that moment. Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy all had their wands pointed at Crabbe, and Goyle sat there dumbly, looking between them with a worried expression.

Malfoy was the one to speak for them.

"You aren't Vince. Anyone who is a  _real_  Slytherin would know not to call Granger that."

Harry was nodding, "I wasn't lying when I said that no Slytherins ever insulted her. She helps earn them points. Why insult someone who will win you the House Cup? Who are you?"

Hermione easily placed the two in a body bind while they scrambled to say something. 'Goyle' was an impostor as well. She rummaged through their pockets, finding four wands altogether.

Harry nodded, "I'll get Professor Snape. Imagine what  _he'll_  do to you both."

He left them with that thought.

The professor sighed when he opened his door to see Harry standing in his threshold. "What is it  _this_  time, Potter?" the man growled.

"Sir, two impostors are pretending to be Crabbe and Goyle. It's been made a rule not to say anything about people's blood status, since we're working on raising Slytherin's reputation in Britain. Whoever is pretending to be Crabbe, called Hermione a 'mudblood'. She bound both of them and they each held two wands."

Snape looked ready to spit fire as he stormed past Harry, toward the Slytherin Common Room.

When they entered though, instead of Crabbe and Goyle laying on the floor, it was Ron Weasley and some brunet Ravenclaw student that Harry didn't recognize.

Hermione looked to Snape and began talking rapidly, "They were sitting there when their hair started to lighten and change. Their faces bubbled like a potion would when finished and they both shrank until that happened. I'd say Polyjuice, if we take into account the threat you gave our classes about certain ingredients missing from your stores and what you'd do to the culprits. All the ingredients were major pieces in the Polyjuice Potion now that I think about it."

Harry smiled as Hermione once again proved her genius. This was nothing new for them though. Malfoy on the other hand, was probably trying to remember the ingredients their Head of House had mentioned hat day. His pointy face was scrunched up, revealing that was deep in thought.

Snape turned from Hermione, to the two errant students tied up on the floor. Both made very loud noises of horror as they scooted away.

"Where are Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle?" the professor asked in a deathly chilly, still tone, leaving no room for arguments.

Weasley squeaked in terror and said, "We left them in some broom cupboard. We thought Malfoy would know something about the heir of Slytherin business!"

"So you attacked two students, stole their clothing and wands, not to mention their  _identities_. You then left them in a cupboard, took the potion, as well as put on their clothing, and came here. Who was the third accomplice?"

Weasley uttered a small, 'huh?' and the Ravenclaw sighed. "He means who helped us. And what makes you think anyone helped us, sir?"

Snape smirked, "I know that Weasley surely doesn't posses the knowledge necessary to brew such a complicated potion. And you, Cornfoot, do not either. Something like this would be more along the lines of Potter or Granger's capabilities as advanced students. And even then, most unlikely since most wizards and witches cannot brew it correctly and competently. Now I will only ask one more time, who was the third collaborator?"

Cornfoot swallowed audibly and mumbled, "Blackwell, sir."

Snape's face twisted into a sneer, "He can kiss his apprenticeship with me, goodbye. I think I'll make this, one hundred points from each of you, detention until the end of the year with Filch, and Blackwell's Hogsmeade privileges are gone for the rest of the year."

Snape levitate the two up and turned to leave.

"And one hundred points to Slytherin for inner House unity and uncovering the liars. Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle will be returning within the hour."

Harry and Hermione grinned. That was a lot of points altogether. Malfoy looked annoyed. Probably because his friends were missing.

The two waited a few moments, before pulling out their assignments and starting early on them. Better to have free time later on. They had studying to do in the library.

 

The holidays came and went rather quickly. School passed on like usual. There was another attack. A Gryffindor first year was found this time. Harry wanted to go into the Chamber, but Loki demanded that he remain until the Horcrux made the last move. Going now would be detrimental to the whole operation.

Harry refrained.

It was during Valentines Day, that things just went from  _okay_ , to  _terrible_.

Lockhart needed a good severing charm to the neck. It was morbid, yes, but he was  _that_  angry.

The ponce made them celebrate the 'day of love'. Harry was disgusted by the amount of love confessions he acquired. He was twelve for Merlin's sake! Why the bloody hell did adults have to send him love letters? That was creepy.

Hermione sent a card Lockhart and Harry stared at her in disappointment. Hadn't he give her enough facts to prove that Lockhart was a liar and completely weak? Shouldn't she be setting her sights on someone like Cedric Diggory or someone just as good if not better?

If Valentines Day wasn't bad enough, Lockhart added a special feature. Dwarves delivering singing messages. It was horrible.

Harry had been assaulted at every moment during the day, by Dwarves of various sizes, all wearing pink wings and little white togas.

The most embarrassing song came at dinner, in front of the whole Great Hall. And the Dwarf that delivered it was extremely loud too!

**His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,**

**His hair as dark as a blackboard,**

**I wish he was mine, he's truly divine,**

**The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.**

No one would have known the name of the sender, if Ronald Weasley hadn't gotten up at the end and screamed at his sister.

"You were writing that about  _Potter_?!"

The little red head flushed morbidly as all the eyes in the Great Hall were fixed no her. Some let out a snicker or two. Ginevra ducked her head and stood from the Gryffindor Table. She left the Hall quickly, with Luna getting up and running after her.

Harry was given many apologetic and pitying looks from people. He noticed the twins smacking Ronald up the side of the head. The boy obviously didn't see the ramifications of what he did. Fools.

Harry was fully prepared to ignore everything for the rest of the evening. He and Hermione hung back, away from the rest of the Slytherins so as not to see anymore kissy faces.

McGonagall's voice rang through the corridor, making everyone look up.

"All students are to return to their House dormitories immediately. Do not leave for  _any_  reason. Call an Elf if need be. All professors to the second floor corridor on the left hand side.  **Now**!"

Hermione had gasped and turned to Harry who was already fetching his Cloak from his bag. He slid it over their heads and both turned around, rushing for the main staircase.

Loki was hissing orders in Harry's ear as they ran.

Harry nodded, knowing what to do.

The professors were gathered in the corridor and McGonagall was speaking rapidly, her brogue coming out heavily.

"As you can see, the heir of Slytherin has left another message. Some students have been taken by the monster, into the Chamber itself. We're going to have to send the students home, Albus."

Dumbledore door sighed and nodded sagely. "Hopefully, we can locate the perpetrator of these attacks soon. I fear that Hagrid may be accused once again if they are not found."

So Hagrid was blamed last time, huh? Tom was seriously such a moody teenager.

Harry pulled Hermione down the corridor, toward the girl's bathroom. He lowly told her, "Loki can scent a foreign snake this way. It has to be the Basilisk."

She nodded and they entered the bathroom silently. Myrtle was floating in front of the sinks. Before either could remove the Cloak, footsteps alerted them to another's presence. They pushed back against the nearest stall and watched as  _Lockhart_  of all people, entered the room.

The man then  _hissed_ at the sinks, making them open. He completely ignored Myrtle's shrieking as the sinks spread apart to reveal a large hole in the floor.

The man dropped from their view as he stepped into the darkness below.

Hermione was gaping. "Professor  _Lockhart_ is the heir of Slytherin?"

Harry couldn't help but snort. "I highly doubt it. He's too pathetic. Perhaps he  _is_ being controlled then."

Hermione didn't comment as they approached the large hole. The two shared a nod, and held hands. They gripped the Cloak tightly and jumped.

The fall wasn't long. They ended up on a long slide. A pipe actually, but it was very much like a slide. Both landed in a pile of animal skeletons.

Hermione sneered, "Let's just go, please?"

Harry nodded as he stood. hey re-positioned the Cloak and followed the long, rocky tunnel, passing a giant snake skin along the way. The Basilisk had to be huge. Bloody hell.

The came to a doorway that had been left open and both carefully levitated themselves down to the floor instead of taking the ladder. They'd have to remove the Cloak then and currently, it was their only protection against the unknown.

The Chamber was large, filled with statues of serpents, unsurprisingly. At the very end was a large statue of a man and laying at the feet, were two little girls. A redhead and a blonde. Ginny and Luna.

Harry slapped a hand over Hermione's mouth when she gasped. They could be found, especially since Lockhart was standing no a few feet from them. And stepping out of the shadows not too far from Lockhart, was a younger Tom Riddle?

Loki hissed, § _ **Horcrux. The diary.**_ §

Harry and Hermione remained a fair distance away, but still able to hear the two speak.

"Well, I never expected my Horcrux to make it so far," Lockhart said, tone completely even. Not like his normally high one.

His Horcrux?

Comprehension dawned. Voldemort.

The younger Tom shrugged, "The process is almost complete. Ginny will soon be dead and I will cease to be some object used for your immortality."

Harry noticed Loki slithering down his arm and under the Cloak. He then disappeared behind the statue they were using as a shield and Tom reappeared in Loki's place. Tom held his hand out to Harry. Harry passed over his wand and made sure to hold a hand over Hermione's mouth as Tom stepped out into the long pathway of the Chamber, in possible view of the two men talking to each other. If they bothered to look.

"You are simply a part of me. Unneeded at present. You will return to the diary."

Young Tom glared, "I will  _not_!"

Harry's Tom cleared his throat as he stepped much closer. Both men whirled to face him. Tom smirked, addressing Tom. "You  _will_ return to the diary, because I cannot absorb you if you are free."

The silence was parted simply by the younger Tom, who merely uttered one word.

"What?"

* * *

**A/N: Another one done!**

**How was it? Let me know!**

**See ya! :D**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Let me know!
> 
> Check out my other HP/LV fics. I just finished 'Moments in Time' Tom/Harry/Voldy.
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chamber fight!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation in the Chamber. The Gaunt Ring Tom is going by Loki in order to end confusion.

**A/N: Hello, people! This fic has been added to 31 communities! Thanks!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK!**

* * *

Tom Riddle, now going by Loki, had 'lived' for nearly fifty years, unable to do anything of consequence because he was stuck in a Ring. When he had created his Horcruxes, he didn't know what it was like to actually be one. The book never explained what the soul piece goes through until it is released from its receptacle. He suffered in a replica of the Riddle House for fifty years and hated every minute of it.

So Loki had been the second Horcrux. He'd been freed after several muggles attempted to get into the Gaunt Shack, losing their lives in the process. One had finally gotten to the ring and had even put it on, giving him the corporeal, tangible, form he was blessed to currently have.

He was his own person now. But he  _had_ been a Horcrux. He knew the loneliness of sitting in the darkness with nothing to do but wait. He fashioned his own opinion of being a Horcrux. Much like the young Tom from the Diary.

He could understand the boy's desire to make his own way. To no longer exist simply for Voldemort to be 'immortal'. Loki himself was actually helping his future self's enemy in collecting his Horcruxes in order to absorb them and stop Voldemort.

Loki wasn't going to allow Voldemort to use him, but he also wasn't going to allow the Dark Lord to use the Diary either.

The Diary-Tom had no wand of his own at present. And Voldemort chose to possess one of the most pathetic wizards alive. Lockhart's magical core was lacking and a few powerful spells would weaken the body enough to make him immobile. Loki would most likely have this confrontation in the sack, but he'd have to be swift and smart. Also, Voldemort couldn't afford to hurt his Horcruxes, so he was even more strained.

If everything played out correctly, he'd be able to walk away as the victor.

 

Tom Marvolo Riddle could feel the pure dread just building in his gut.

He'd been so certain that Potter would be lured down to rescue the Gryffindor girl that was smitten with him. He'd been so certain the boy cared enough to risk his life.

And instead, he got his older self, in the body of an idiot.

That wouldn't have been so bad, but he was wandless and even Lockhart had some ability, meaning Voldemort had more on him.

And just as he was biding his time in order to think of a plan and allow himself to reach a more corporeal form,  _he_ had to show up.

Tom was not expecting -  _himself_ \- to appear in the Chamber. A bit older, but it was still him. And judging by the ring on his finger, he was also a Horcrux.

A look in Voldemort's direction revealed that he hadn't been expecting the other Tom to appear. So the three of them were at an impasse and poor Tom had no idea how to handle it.

And then he dropped the worst news.

This new Tom was planning to absorb the Diary Horcrux! Was this his plan for all of them?

And the only thing he could utter was, "What?"

 

The Horcrux had revealed itself!

Voldemort hadn't felt such elation in a long time.

He was finally going to get to the bottom of the attacks. Not that he cared about whether people were hurt or not. He simply didn't need his Horcrux to get lost or to begin forming opinions of its own.

And judging by the young Riddle's words, that was just what he had done.

If that wasn't bad enough, they were interrupted by  _another_  Horcrux. The Ring.

Two errant Horcruxes both fixed on their own desires, was not good. Especially for his plans for the future. How to collar them without much damage?

Especially since the Diary had been controlling the Basilisk and regaining control would be difficult with three beings it would recognize as 'master', ordering it around.

 

Harry stared at the triangle of Tom Riddles, wondering how his Tom was going to come out of this alive or relatively unharmed.

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione whispered in confusion. She was seeming the same as he was, but unlike him, she had to idea what was going on.

He sighed lightly.

"Remember when I said that Loki wasn't a normal snake?"

She nodded minutely.

"Well, he's a person. Or actually, a part of a person. He was broken off and sealed into a ring for many years. Doing something like that is supposed to grant a form of immortality, by tying the soul to this plain. If the body somehow dies, the sealed part in the ring could be used to revive the wandering spirit left behind. Loki is actually named Tom and he no longer wants to be a simple method of immortality for his original self. Especially since his original self became so twisted and... bad."

He waited. Hermione was smart. Ravenclaw smart. She would piece it all together eventually. She was that kind of person.

He saw the exact moment it came to her. Her dark brown eyes went extremely wide, allowing him to see the whites completely.

"V-Voldemort?" she whispered.

"Yes."

She looked torn. "Loki has been with you since before your started at Hogwarts, so he isn't a threat to the school, right?"

Harry had to think about that. Was Tom a threat? Not currently.

"Not at present, but if I feel he's turned away then I'll let you know."

She sighed, "I guess that's the best I can hope for." She looked up to the three arguing men. "Professor Lockhart is actually Voldemort, isn't he?"

"Yes."

Her head fell into her hands and she huffed. "And I was besotted."

Harry gave a small snort, mindful of their presence, which Voldie and the other Tom didn't know about.

Hermione's elbow met his gut and he grunted. Bony. Lethal. Evil. Hermione's elbows.

The two pre-teens silently watched the events between the three men unfold.

Harry eyed his Tom with worry.

Tom knew his best bet was the Basilisk. He'd been controlling it for the past few months, so he had the upper hand when it came to protection.

He hissed, which was immediately cut off by the other Tom and Voldemort hissing at the same time, drowning him out.

Harry rolled his eyes! This was ridiculous!

 

Harry knew he had to do something. He had a faint idea, but he had never done the spell with another person's wand before and he really didn't want to mess it up.

But he did have to help his Tom somehow and this was the only way he could think of that wasn't just outright charging out there like a bloody Gryffindor.

He looked to Hermione, "Could I use your wand, please?"

She frowned, but nodded handed it over. There was a small vibration as it recognized him as a friend and not a foe. He smiled, it should work.

From what he knew of the Horcruxes, they needed the lifeforce of a person in order to become corporeal once more. So the diary was currently resting on Ginny's stomach, meaning she was the one it was sucking the life out of. Luna was simply unconscious.

So he needed to get the diary away from Ginny and break the connection between them.

He pointed the borrowed wand at the pale redhead and focused his magic through it. Once he felt he had a sufficient amount, he lowly incanted, " _Accio_ , Tom Riddle's Diary."

He forced his Will into the spell, controlling the path of the book.

It moved, inching out from under Ginny's limp hand, before soaring right through the air and into his open palm.

Unfortunately, this drew the attention of the gathered men. The Diary Tom gave an enraged yell, which was cut off by Harry's Tom stunning him.

Harry grabbed Hermione and ducked behind another snake statue at Gildemort sent a powerful blasting curse their way.

Hermione gave a shriek as another statue suffered under Gildemort's ire.

Finally, Harry's Tom decided to get off his arse and do something, attacking Gildemort and giving Harry the chance he needed to figure out the diary. A connection that siphoned the magic of one being and implanted it into another being.

He'd have to find the connection and forcibly break it with his magic.

He cast a  _Protego_ with Hermione's wand and handed it over. "Just hold the wand aloft and the spell should remain."

While she handled that, he placed his palms each on a page of the open book and concentrated. It was Dark. Extremely so. Like the locket.

His magic pulsed as it felt around inside the Diary.

No wonder it was taking the other Tom so long to drain Ginny. The connection was so thin it was almost imperceptible. He'd been taking so little over time that it had taken this long for him to become even somewhat tangible.

"Harry," Hermione frantically whispered. "Hurry!"

A nearby explosion revealed that Gildemort and Tom were seriously going to it. He growled, forcing his magic into the damn link and fracturing it as quickly as possible.

In his mind, he could see a very clear purple rope and he forced his magic(which was bright green) to attack it. And like glass, the impact caused the pupil to crack in several places.

Harry was suddenly pinned to the cold floor of the Chamber, the Diary now stuck under him. Hermione was pinning him to the floor as the ground not even five feet beside them, exploded.

"That nearly took your head off," the witch breathed in his ear.

"Thanks."

The two rolled to their feet and Harry snatched the Diary off the wet, grimy floor.

 

Loki(Tom) deflected the curse headed his way.

That was the largest issue about this entire affair. Voldemort had more experience than he did. He also had a wider base of knowledge, which meant much even though the body he was inhabiting was pathetic in terms of power levels.

" _Expelliarmus_!"

He knew that voice. Hadrian.

The red beam of light was hurling toward Voldemort, who quickly raised a shield to deflect it. Loki that attack with a well aimed bludgeoning hex.

With the other Tom out of the way, Loki was able to focus more on the battle. Hadrian could handle himself just fine. Judging by how he was attacking Voldemort with such ferociously powered curses, he was certain of it.

And then Hadrian did something incredibly foolish and Gryffindor that it made Loki's stomach drop.

He charged Voldemort.

Was he insane?!

Loki easily redirected Voldemort's attacks on Hadrian, back on himself.

Once Hadrian was within distance, he launched himself at the Dark Lord and wrapped his hands around the man's neck.

Like with Quirrell, his skin began to disintegrate at the touch. Voldemort gave pained shout as he fell to the ground with Hadrian on top of him.

Granger appeared by Loki's side, handing over the Diary with a wary look. "He did something to it with his magic. I don't know what, though."

Loki accepted the book and easily ruptured the fractured connection. The unconscious Tom on the ground, disappeared in a shower of golden sparks. This left them Voldemort to deal with, whom Hadrian had seemed to be handling rather well if Lockhart's destroyed face was anything to go by.

It was like a repeat of the Quirrell incident. The host's body went limp as a dark, amorphous form rose from it.

Hadrian was thrown back as the spirit of Lord Voldemort attacked him, easily slipping through his body and knocking him onto his back.

Loki lifted Hadrian's wand and sent a banishing hex toward the spirit, forcing it down the long hall and out of the room through the large drain opening.

Once he was sure Voldemort was gone, he joined Granger in worrying over Hadrian. Poor Hadrian looked like someone had taken a dagger to him, small cuts littering his face and exposed arms. Granger was trying awaken him, which Loki simply did with a  _Rennervate_.

Hadrian came to, blinking rapidly and wincing as he reached up to rub his skull.

"Where's Gildemort?"

Granger gave a snort, before breaking into giggles. Loki simply sighed. Of course Harry would do that. First Quirrellmort and now Gildemort. What was next.

And yet, he was immensely glad that his Hadrian seemed to be okay.

 

Harry was eventually pulled off the ground and the yanked into a bone crushing hug by Hermione. The witch was tearing up as she patted him down, making sure he was fine. "That was an incredibly foolish thing to do, Harry Potter! " she wailed. "You charged the Dark Lord like a Gryffindor! What's wrong with you?!"

So she got over her worry pretty fast. She even went so far as to cuff him upside the head. "Never again, Hadrian Jameson Evans Potter! Never. Again."

He nodded quickly, kind of scared. Hermione could be really terrifying when she wanted to be. Also, her hair was beginning to frizz and stand on end. It usually only did that when she was angry and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of whatever she was building up. She tended to zap people when she touched them, once her hair began to spark at least. Like treading on a carpet and building up the energy. It could hurt too.

He looked to Tom for guidance, but Tom was simply staring at him while holding the Diary.

Harry sighed. "We need to make a copy of the book. Ginny will know about the other Tom and I don't want her Obliviated. It would mess a lot up because she's had it for a while and that sort of Obliviation takes skill."

Tom waved Harry's wand over the book, making a duplicate appear on top of it.

"That must be dead useful," the young Slytherin commented.

Tom gave a smirk, "You could say that."

He then placed his hand over it and Harry could feel the Dark Magic seeping into the fake Diary.

"The story will correlate better if some of my magic is in the book. And now…" he waved the wand again, making writing similar to what was on the real Diary, appear as well.

Tom looked at the two second years and said, "Close your eyes. I'm going to get the Basilisk to drip some venom on this."

They were quick to close their eyes, both huddling together for the duration of the Basilisk's appearance.

Once it was safely behind the statue of Slytherin, Tom handed Harry the book. There was a gaping hole in the center, the edges looked singed.

"I'd appreciate it if my presence isn't mentioned," Tom said, looking at Hermione very clearly.

She looked to Harry and sighed. "Okay. But don't you dare hurt Harry. He's been extremely good to you, I can tell. You owe him." She threw in a glare for good measure.

His hands came up in a no-danger-intended action. "I would not hurt Hadrian."

"Fine. Can we go now?"

Tom handed Harry his wand and proceeded to shrink until he was a snake once more. Harry bent down and picked him up, allowing him to curl about his shoulders.

The two Slytherins then looked to the unconscious girls. "Think we can levitate them out of here?"

Hermione sighed, "I suppose."

"What about Lockhart's body?"

They looked to the disfigured and dead blonde man in disgust.

"I feel like I should be worried that I watched a man literally be burned to death, and feel no sadness in his passing," Hermione commented.

That gave Harry pause. She had a point. They'd been through this with Quirrell already. And neither of them had truly been affected by his death either. Was something wrong with them?

§ _ **I'll show you the secret entrance that leads to the Slytherin Common Room. Once there, you can summon his body,**_ § Loki suggested.

Harry sighed. That was good. "Let's go, Mione. We'll summon him later."

Harry made sure to follow Loki's specific instructions, finding the stone on the east wall with the snake on it. Seriously, if everything Slytherin related had a snake on it, he wondered how no one found the Chamber before Tom did when he was in school.

The stone responded to Parseltongue - like it should have - and revealed a long staircase that had both Slytherin groaning.

§ _ **Stop whining.**_ §

Harry pouted at how unfair Loki was.

Nevertheless, the two friends braved the stairs of doom, grateful that they didn't move at least.

The other end was simply warmer than it should have been. When it opened, he gaped for maybe a few seconds, before placing Ginny on the cold stairs and waving his wand at the flames, conjuring water with a non-verbal  _Aguamenti_ to douse the fire.

The secret entrance was behind the fireplace in the Slytherin Common Room. Slytherin had a very dark form of humor, he did.

And the reaction of the students when their House's brightest minds stepped from some hole behind the fireplace, carrying two bodies, was sort of hilarious. And then it go a bit eerie when Harry turned around and summoned Lockhart. Luckily, Hermione had warned the first years away before they could see anything.

" _Accio_  Gilderoy Lockhart's body!"

The dead man came flying out of the darkness, bowling Harry over in the process. There was a loud scream and murmurings broke out immediately.

Marcus Flint was the one to take control and demand what happened.

Harry gave a small amount of detail.

"Ginny and Luna were taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione and I followed Lockhart, who the professor's ordered to go get them when he claimed to know where to go, and it turned out that he was being possessed by Voldemort-" cue the flinching "- and he along with some help from the Basilisk, had been attacking students with this," he finished, holding up the fake Diary.

"To anyone who read the Daily Prophet last year, that talked about Voldemort using Dark Magic to gain immortality, that wasn't a lie. He made this thing into one of those objects and the teenage version of himself that was inside, was draining Ginny of her magic in order to gain a body once again. I stabbed it with a Basilisk fang."

There was silence.

"The Dark Lord created a  _Horcrux_?" one of the older boys asked, sounding incredulous and slightly worried?

Though Harry was shocked, he didn't show it. "He's said to be one of the most powerful magicals to ever exist. It doesn't shock me that he was capable of it."

Then he asked, "Can someone get Snape?"

" _Professor Snape_ , Harry," chastised Hermione.

Harry huffed, "Sure, sure."

 

_**Dear Nick,** _

_**So much has happened this school year!** _

**One of Voldemort's Horcruxes managed to get into the school and it possessed one of  
my friends. Through her, it opened the Chamber of Secrets and sicked the Basilisk inside,  
on the students.**

_**While at the same time, Voldemort had managed to once again, possess my Defense professor.  
Gilderoy Lockhart was his name. As you can guess, when he left the body, the man died.** _

**Loki and I brought Hermione deeper into everything. She knows about Voldemort and his  
Horcruxes and knows that Loki was one of them. I've told her that we are collecting the  
others in hopes to help stop Voldemort.**

**Currently, we have me, Slytherin's Locket, Ravenclaw's Diadem, Tom Riddle's Diary, and Loki,  
though he isn't considered a Horcrux anymore since he is now alive in a sense. Hopefully,   
there won't be too many more. The fact that there are five in our possession, says a lot about Voldie.**

_**Hoping to hear from you soon,** _

_**Harry.** _

Nicholas Flamel looked up from the letter he received. Honestly, those children got themselves into the most dangerous of situations.

"Penny dear, a letter from Harry arrived!"

* * *

**A/N: Another one is done.**

**How was it? Let me know!**

**Check out my other HP/LV/TMR fics.**

**See ya! :D**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Let me know!
> 
> Check out my other HP/LV/TMR fics.
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School ends for the year.
> 
> Harry gets Bella's vault.
> 
> Journey to France.
> 
> Ritual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned for underage shit. Tom is 18 and Harry is 13. The wizard consent age in Britain is 13 though. The witch consent is 15. So while it's legal in this fic(not that I will have a bunch of shit happen yet), I know some would complain, so either come to grips with it now, or stop reading the fic.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON, I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

The end of the year exams weren't as much of a chore as some of the students made them out to be. Harry and Hermione unsurprisingly, did very well. Perfectly in fact. They scored highest out of the second years.

Tom had rewarded them both with a surprise lesson in becoming Animagi. He decided to start a year early and since Hermione was in on the secret, he decided that she was worthy enough to learn ahead of time as well.

Harry had never hugged the older wizard so much before, but he refused to let go. It was just that amazing.

Tom allowed him his brief moment of childish excitement. It was 'the least he could do' thanks to Harry's help in the Horcrux collecting.

 

Severus Snape sighed, rubbing his temples.

His two Slytherins seemed to get in the middle of everything. He didn't know how, but Potter and Granger were always involved and it was becoming tiresome. The two couldn't keep out of danger. They lacked enough self-preservation.

They wanted him to go grey early, he could tell.

When Flint and Jugson had fetched him, informing him that his two troublemakers had appeared behind the fireplace in the common room, holding two unconscious first years and then that Potter  _summoned_  Lockhart's dead, mutilated body from somewhere beyond the hole, he had to hold himself back.

He rushed off to his snake pit to find Potter casually discussing the Dark Lord's attempts at immortality with the students and Granger correcting him every time he mentioned his Head of House without proper respect.

The ensuing investigation was too much. But Amelia Bones had taken it all in stride.

And when the youngest Weasley burst into tears on how her 'friend Tom' had been so nice but then betrayed her, it only solidified everything. Skeeter's claiming that the Dark Lord had several objects spread around that made him immortal, was proven when the Headmaster explained who Tom Riddle was and how he became the Dark Lord.

And then Potter told them that said Dark Lord had possessed Lockhart, which would explain how Lockhart had gone back and forth between idiocy and genius. Severus' assumption at the beginning of the year was correct. And Albus had refused to believe him, but look at what happened.

The Headmaster was too naive. He was willfully blind and it was beginning to become a danger to the students. Dunderheads though they were Severus didn't want them dead. He didn't want Dumbledore's never-ending optimism to endanger anyone else.

But with the threat of the Dark Lord hanging over the Wizarding World again, Dumbledore's presence was needed more than ever. The Dark Lord feared a confrontation with Dumbledore, most. So as long as the annoying old coot remained in place, nothing too bad would happen.

Unfortunately, this meant that Severus was still trapped as a spy for both sides.

Nothing was ever easy.

 

_**Dear Pup,** _

**I received a letter from one Nicolas Flamel, requesting permission for you to visit his  
home in France for a while this summer. I didn't know that you were on   
good terms with a legendary alchemist. What have you been up to, Pup?**

_**Anyway, he was very kind and I even spoke to him over the Floo and he checks out  
okay with me. You can go the day after your birthday and you'll Floo back on the fifteenth.** _

_**Thought I should tell you now to get you excited.** _

**Your results came in yesterday and they are perfect. You're like a little Ravenclaw. Your  
mother would be proud. Just make sure you pull a prank or two before leaving.   
You can't end the year without something good. Perhaps on old Snapey.**

_**Can't wait to see you!** _

_**Padfoot!** _

Harry shook his head.

Hermione let out a squeal and he looked up in worry. But she was clutching her own letter like it was a lifeline.

"Mione, are you okay?"

"I got invited to the Flamels!" she whispered hurriedly.

"You too?"

Cool. Then they could hang out.

"Oh, I wonder what we're going to learn?! Imagine all the knowledge and books they have!" Hermione squealed, wiggling around in her seat.

Harry shook his head good naturedly. She was easy to please.

 

Slytherin won the House Cup again, with an astonishing two thousand four hundred and seventy-nine points, beating Ravenclaw by over fifteen hundred.

Even if Snape didn't like he and Hermione, he couldn't complain about winning for the second year in a row. With the way they went about classes, they slew anyone else's chance of getting enough points. And they couldn't be forbidden from receiving points because it wouldn't be fair. So they dominated and that was that.

Harry and Hermione departed from King's Cross the next evening, promising to meet up in Gringotts the day they were to visit the Flamels.

Sirius sprung some interesting news on Harry the moment they got home. He'd received a letter from his cousin's account manager. Bellatrix Lestrange nee` Black had been sitting in incarceration like she was supposed to, when she was wracked with tremors and yelling herself hoarse. The Aurors stationed on her floor stated that she could be heard everywhere.

When they rushed over to see what was wrong, they described her as 'possessed'. Her normally grey eyes were red with black slits and she kept screaming, 'no master' for the entire floor to hear.

The natural assumption was that Voldemort's wraith form had attempted to possess her, but ultimately failed when she suddenly yelled, 'tenaci mortis'. Sirius explained that it was a curse used to commit suicide. What it does, is it takes every last bit of magic in the body and soul, and uses it to end the life of the person casting it. It does not require a wand.

For someone to go to such extremes, meant that they were suffering and since Bellatrix was already deranged and had an extremely high pain tolerance, the fact that she went so far as to kill herself to escape it, meant that it was bad. And the assumption of it being Voldemort behind it was proven once again, when his amorphous form rose from her dead body and departed from the prison, leaving two terrified Aurors in his wake.

The account manager had approached Sirius with this news because Bellatrix's husband, who was Lord Lestrange, was imprisoned, as well as his brother. Sirius, as Bellatrix's next of kin and Lord of her blood House, had the ability to take possession o her vault once again. If he decided not to, then the vault possession would go to Narcissa Malfoy nee` Black.

Sirius wanted Harry's opinion on whether he should risk Bellatrix's vault or not.

Harry obviously was all for it. The various things that could be in that vault alone. The knowledge the woman must have gathered from her husband's family. He was excited to say the least.

"Can we go today?!" he asked eagerly.

"If you really want."

"YES!"

So they left to Gringotts immediately, Loki hissing in Harry's ear to watch out for anything useful while they were in there.

Torglok was Bellatrix's account manager and he welcomed them with a sneer that was less of a sneer and more of a grimace.

"Welcome Lord Black, Heir Potter-Black, if you'll follow me, we can get this situated immediately."

They followed him into an office and Sirius immediately set to going over paperwork and looking at lists of assets and collected monies within the vault. He eventually signed for ownership and then signed it over to Harry.

"I don't want anything in there. But we'll go through to make sure it's all safe to use of course."

Yes, Sirius had his moments of being responsible, scarce though they may be.

Torglok was quiet as they made their way down the mines, passing other carts and Goblins on their way. Harry's jaw dropped when he saw the guardian of Bellatrix's vault. A dragon. A Ukranian Ironbelly if what he had studied had been correct.

Torglok handed them each an item that reminded him of a cowbell. "Shake them. They've been trained to respond to the noise."

They slipped past the large creature and into the vault quickly, managing to close the door before the fire hit them.

Sirius lifted his wand, " _Lumos_."

Harry gave an appreciative whistle. Bellatrix really liked jewelry. Good, silver, brass, it was all over the place. "I don't know what I'd do with all of this. Sell it I guess, because I don't need it."

"Well, it's your vault, so you can do what you want with it."

Harry shifted through goblets - really ugly ones at that - and jewels the size of his hand. Where did people get such things? Gifts? Maybe Hermione would like some fancy jewelry?

Loki's head lifted suddenly and he looked around. § _ **Do you feel that?**_ §

Harry stopped what he was doing and looked too. § **What?** §

§ _ **Listen closely.**_ §

Harry looked up and then around, trying to center himself. He turned his head to the side, focusing his magic in his right ear - it was his best after all.

A hissing. It wasn't Loki behind it either. It was garbled and slightly muffled. Like the diadem had been.

It was another Horcrux!

Loki lifted his tail, pointing it ahead of them, § ** _In that direction!_** §

Step by step, Harry ignored Sirius' confused questioning and simply moved closer and closer to the Horcrux that he couldn't see.

It got louder. The hissing became demanding. As if it sensed power nearby and was trying to coerce whoever had it, to come closer. Harry wasn't affected liked others would be. Not after the diadem incident and the fact that Loki had been hanging on him most of the time. Add the fact that he carried the diary in a small bag with the diadem and the locket, always, left him a bit desensitized to the feeling of Horcruxes.

§ ** _Up,_** § Loki hissed.

He looked to everything above eye level, coming to a full stop in front of a shelf of goblets.

§ ** _The one with the golden badger! That's Hufflepuff's Cup!§_**

Well, wasn't luck just on their side?

He reached out, curling a finger around the right handle and lifting it off the shelf. A jolt of magic ran through his arm. It felt familiar. Like when Tom used magic. It was comforting in a sense. Like a brotherly hug for his magic.

He turned to leave, having retrieved the only important thing in the vault.

"I'm good for now, Padfoot. This is the only really important thing here. I'm sort of collecting the Founder's items and Hufflepuff's Cup is the third I've attained."

Sirius gaped. "You have three of the legendary Founder's items. When did you have time to do that?"

"Time is a tricky thing, Padfoot," he answered mystically.

 

"You need to sway your hips a bit more."

Harry gave Tom a glare. "It's not like I have super wiggle hips. I can't sway what I don't have, Tom."

Tom rose from the bed and stalked over to Harry. The younger wizard's hips were encased in Tom's large hands in the next second, Tom's hands manually moving them in a sort of figure eight pattern.

"Practice this movement over and over. It'll require abdominal control and eventually, you'll be able to sway any to you."

Harry frowned, "This sounds like I'm going to be offering myself up for information or something. You didn't whore yourself out for blackmail material, right?"

Tom reared back, an aghast look on his face. "This is not what I'm teaching you, Hadrian. In some circles, having a predatory, but still gentle walk, will give you better reputation. In others, a sweet disposition with an innocent face can endear people to you. And sometimes a little cocking of the hip can get you what you want faster. But I do not want you offering of yourself to anyone, do you understand me?"

Harry nodded reluctantly, still not feeling like using his looks to his advantage, was a good idea any more.

Tom's hand lifted to cradle his face, "Calm down. I never 'whored myself out' and I most certainly don't want you to to do it. You are mine and I do not share with others. Not even my Horcruxes. Not even my other self. You are  _my_  Hadrian. Do not forget it."

Harry flushed. He was almost thirteen and he'd always been advanced for his age. He knew how incredibly perverted Tom's words sounded. And the odd thing was, he kind of liked how possessive Tom felt about him. But…

"I'm not a possession, Tom," he stated, wrapping his arms around the older wizard's frame. "But I suppose that if I'm yours, then you of course have to be mine in return. It's only fair."

Tom's answering smirk made his stomach flutter.

 

"I'm thirteen today!"

Tom nodded, "Which means that it's okay for me to do this now."

He leaned down Harry's eyes went wide when their lips connected. Tom didn't put much pressure on the kiss, it was a simple action. But it was enough to make Harry's stomach do flips.

Tom pulled back. "The wizard consent age of Britain is thirteen. Witches are fifteen. Meaning you can engage in a relation of sorts with an adult and neither would face legal issues because of it. Also, it means that I can kiss you without feeling guilty or like a pedophile."

Harry couldn't help but flush, because Tom talked like this had all been planned out.

"And how long have you been thinking of kissing me, Tom?" he asked teasingly, though his heart pounded rapidly, practically beating out of his chest.

Tom hummed quietly, enfolding Harry into a warm embrace, "Since the chamber incident. You were so fierce despite acting like a Gryffindor. And the pure nonchalance you exuded while dealing with Lockhart's dead body was simply breathtaking."

So Tom was attracted to weird things.

Harry and Tom had just kissed.

Harry liked it.

Tom obviously liked it.

And it would most likely happen again.

And Harry didn't mind in the least.

In fact, he welcomed it.

So did this mean that Harry liked boys, or just Tom?

 

France was warm this time of year. Both Hermione and Harry stared up at the enormous manor that they would be staying at for the next ten days. Nick had picked them up at Gringotts like planned and they Flooed on over.

Hermione bounced up and down. She'd written him during the summer, telling him all about the various things she wanted to learn at the Flamel residence. Alchemy being a big one.

Harry was leaning more toward Soul Magic. He wanted to fully understand what happened to Voldemort after splitting his soul so many times.

Perenelle - a tall, woman with salt and pepper hair that was pulled into a tight bun, and bright blue eyes - greeted them enthusiastically, placing kisses on each of their cheeks. She then gave Loki a stern look and ordered him to change. No Animagus form for him while staying in France.

Tom reluctantly did as told and accepted the elderly woman's embrace, though a little stiffly. He'd never been in direct physical contact with anyone but Harry before, so he had been uncomfortable with the touching.

"Let's get you all settled in and then we'll go to the dining room for tea."

Tom frowned at being given a room separate from Harry. The two normally shared a bed, which had never bothered Harry in the least. He liked to cuddle and Tom was very lenient with Harry in that regard. Tom secretly liked having someone want him around.

Hermione was all sighs and smiles as she walked along the corridors of the old manor. The walls were littered with portraits that greatly resembled Nicolas and Perenelle. Probably their children. The people in them smiled and waved as they walked by.

"So we have decided to take you under our wings," Nicolas stated after a sip of tea. "We have lived for more than six hundred and fifty years each and have amassed knowledge that few could only dream of. We lost the ability to have children two centuries ago and have been rather lonely. We have already decided that it's time to move on and we'd like to pass on some of our knowledge before we go."

Harry caught on quickly and he frowned in sadness, "You're planning your deaths."

"Oui," Perenelle sighed. "I miss my children. I long to see them again. Living forever isn't all that's the young think it is. It's loneliness, watching your family and friends die as you continue on. If I didn't have my Nico, I would have ended it all years ago."

Nicolas nodded, "We have decided that you Harry, and your friend Hermione, have good heads on your shoulders. We'd each like to take one of you on as an apprentice. As for Tom, we have finished the Elixir for him and have a proper ritual room set up for him. He may also peruse our library to his heart's content."

Tom caught Harry's eye and it was a silent conversation. Harry's head tilted in question and Tom nodded. He'd be studying everything he could get his hands on, so no disturbing.

"Now, since we did not know when you'd be ready to use the ritual room, it open for use at any time, all you have to do is Floo on over."

Tom shook his head, "No, we're ready."

"Huh?" Harry asked. "But we don't have Voldemort's piece."

"I don't want his piece. Besides, if my math is correct, he only possesses about 3/200 of my soul and I have the second largest piece altogether. Combined with all the others except him, I will be mostly whole."

Hermione was the one to speak next. "But will there be side effects of you reabsorbing all those pieces at once? It was  _extremely evil_ , Dark Magic that you used to split your soul and I can't believe that just reabsorbing them all makes everything okay again."

"We'll just have to see, I suppose," Tom shrugged.

Harry sighed, hoping no pain was involved, seeing as he was one of the Horcruxes that would be involved in the ritual.

"We should take care of the ritual now. Best have the heavy finished so you aren't weak when returning home," Perenelle said, snapping her fingers. An Elf popped into view. "Odette, préparer la salle rituel, s'il vous plaît."

The Elf bowed, "Oui, Madame Flamel."

So foreign magicals did not name their House Elves with childish names. Good.

Perenelle smiled, "I always loved Swan Lake."

That made sense.

"Let us make our way to the third floor. It is the center of magic in our property and has the best outcome for any ritual ever performed."

"Have you done rituals often?" asked Hermione, looking eager.

"Not so much as we let our friends use the room," Nick mumbled, earning an elbow in the gut by Perenelle.

Perenelle smiled, "We are perfectly happy to lend aid when it is needed. Nicolas is simply put out that our friends prefer to come here often instead of elsewhere."

The room was large, though not as vast as the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It was definitely more beautiful though. The walls were carved out of marble and the ritual stones were each made of a special gemstone. The magic in the air thrummed and washed over them as they entered.

"You will need ot place each of the Horcruxes on a stone and stand in the center, Tom," Nick ordered, pointing to the proper locations.

Harry removed his pouch from his pocket and handed over the Horcruxes. Tom placed each of them on a stone inside the ritual circle. Harry took his place on a stone of his own. Jade.

Nick held out a small bottle full of flaming red liquid. "We must leave the room, for no magic other than your own and your Horcruxes can be present during the ritual. Once you are prepared, drink the potion and the soul pieces will return to you."

Harry watched as the two older magicals led Hermione from the room. He then turned to Tom and waved a hand. "When you're ready I guess."

Tom looked at the Diary, then the Locket, Cup, Diadem, and finally, Harry. He took a deep breath and removed the lid from the potion.

"To healing," he said, raising the vial in a mock toast. He took the entire vial in one gulp and all Harry saw before everything went dark for him, was Tom collapsing to the marble floor.

 

Tom didn't know what to expect when he drank the Elixir of Life. He knew he would be absorbing all the Horcruxes, but beyond that, everything was left up to chance.

The very moment the red liquid touched his tongue, his body was filled with fire. He'd never been burned before, so he really had to wonder if burning alive felt like this. Except it was coming from within.

His magic was in turmoil, raging and waning dangerously, going too high and then sinking too low. His soul, the very center of this entire debacle, sparked within him. He could feel it stretch outward, seeking its other parts.

In his mind's eye, he could envision his soul perfectly. His own coloring was a bright emerald green, much like his magical core was. And the other soul pieces answered the call, but they were not healthy. The only one looking relatively in good shape, was the Diary piece, which was a bit of a brighter green than his own. The others though, progressively got darker, until the smallest piece which had resided within Harry, appeared. It was black as pitch and emanated a dark aura. He was a bit reluctant to take that piece in, but if he wanted his strength mostly returned, he'd have to.

It was like poison.

Tom had been poisoned once when he was in school. A fellow fifth year had wanted to teach the halfblood a lesson and Tom had been in the Hospital Wing for a week. The moment he was free from the Matron's obsessive watch, he sought out his attacker and taught him an important lesson.

Taking in that last soul piece was like ingesting poison. It made his tongue burn, his throat close up, and his stomach rebel. Finally, there was a sharp pain in his chest area, making it difficult to get air in, not that he  _could thanks to the closed up throat._

This had to be the worst experience he'd ever lived through.

Tom's soul had to accommodate the sudden additions and Tom could feel the taint of Harry's piece trying to overtake the rest of the pieces. With a push of his magic, he attacked the dark aura, trying to destroy it.

If it succeeded in gaining the upper hand, then he'd pretty much be another Voldemort and he really didn't want to be anything like that old fool.

How did that one, minuscule piece of soul have so much power? He shouldn't be struggling against it at all. He had absorbed the others and currently had the most power, so why was he at a standstill with the last piece?

It was like a game of tug-of-war and while he was neither winning or losing, he didn't want to wait for the ending, he wanted to win now. But he wasn't and nothing was happening.

And just when he was beginning to tire, something green, bright like the killing curse, appeared and slammed into the dark aura. When its power faltered, Tom took the chance to overpower it and was able to thankfully eradicate the darkness.

And the green light, soothing, calming, and warm, surrounded him. He didn't know what it was, but he was grateful.

And as his lethargy caught up to him, Tom slipped into blissful unconsciousness, falling into the green comfortably.

* * *

**A/N: Another one bites the dust!**

**-tenaci mortis- Latin for 'death grip'. I don't really care if it's improperly written.**

**-Odette, préparer la salle rituel, s'il vous plaît.- French for, 'Odette, prepare the ritual room, please'. Again, I don't care if I wrote it improperly.**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Let me know.
> 
> Check out my other fics.
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr.
> 
> I have a few new fic out.
> 
> The Sorting Hat's Prank Year- Crack fic. The Sorting Hat fucks everyone over.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip down memory lane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Tom have similar memories but have different reactions.

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

_All he had to do was a spell and a murder in order to split it and remove a piece. It sounded simple enough._

_And when the Basilisk accidentally killed Myrtle, he took advantage of the situation and performed the spell then and there._

_It was painful. To tear a piece of the soul away in order to encase it into the Diary. He was reluctant to do the ritual again, but he had a number he was working to and hoped beyond all hope, that it wouldn't be so bad the second time. Or the times following._

_And he finally was able to ensure himself immortality._

_ _

 

_He'd retrieved it from the Gaunt Shack. The only worthwhile thing belonging to the remaining line of Slytherin. The golden ring. It had power, though there was nothing to explain where it came from or even how to utilize it. Morfin was useless and an ignoramus._

_Still, he took it as it was rightfully his. Morfin Gaunt lay on the floor, stunned with his own wand. No way would Tom risk his Yew wand to be under scrutiny._

_And then his dear father, coward of a Muggle that he was, denied his existence and it was then, that Tom learned the color of the killing curse. It was also the day he created his second Horcrux, ripping a piece off and storing it within the golden ring. All the while, using Morfin's wand to dole out the punishment._

_After dealing with his grandparents, he took a trip back to the Gaunt Shack, where he used the second Unforgivable for the first time. Morfin Gaunt was easy to overtake, his mind too weak for anything else. Tom enforced his will over the urchin and swayed him to believe that he had killed the Riddles, whom he'd already had a past with, because he used to charm knives to attack Tom's wretch of a father. He served in Azkaban for that, but this time, he'd serve for life._

_The ritual hadn't been as painful as the first time. And he walked away from Little Hangleton, feeling much better than when he arrived._

_ _

 

_He hadn't been given the Defense position. He 'needed more experience'._

_In his rage, he killed a woman in a dark, Muggle alley. It was then and there, that he created his third Horcrux. Slytherin's Locket, which was the last heirloom of his ancestor, became the newest soul piece. He proceeded to hide it in a well known place from his childhood. By the shore in the crystal cave._

_ _

 

_With kind words and flattery that would make even Slughorn blush, he swindled Hufflepuff's Cup from Hepzibah Smith. Really, the old woman was a bit difficult to sway, but he got her. And the goblet too._

_Of course he couldn't leave her alive with the memory of him, so he did the next important thing. He killed her. And then the Elf was Imperiused to believe that she had done it and Tom Riddle left the house with a slight smile._

_And his newest Horcrux was tucked firmly in his robes, where he'd find a home for it later._

_ _

 

_He'd finally succeeded in finding Ravenclaw's Diadem. After years of searching the forests of Albania, he'd found it stuffed in the hollow of a large tree. Honestly, Helena wasn't very imaginative about hiding it._

_But as he looked at the engraved words, he couldn't really bring himself to care. He'd found it at last!_

**_Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure._ **

_The real Diadem of Ravenclaw._

_Now all he had to do was make it a Horcrux._

_He traveled lightly, coming across a peasant easily enough._

_The ritual went underway quickly and soon, he had another Horcrux. And he knew just where to put it too._

_Right under Dumbledore's nose._

_ _

 

_The Potters. Of course it was them. Their son would be a Halfblood, just like him. That would make him closer to being Lord Voldemort's equal than the Longbottom brat would be._

_They were in hiding of course. He couldn't find them anywhere. Even the best of rituals wouldn't reveal the location of his supposed 'equal'. And Black couldn't be found anywhere._

_How was he to kill the one prophesied to kill him, if he couldn't even find the brat?_

_It was over a year._

_And still he had no leads._

_The meeting room was empty at the moment. He was sitting on his throne, trying to think of a plan. It was then, that a rat caught his attention. A rat that suddenly turned into a man. Animagus._

_" **Crucio**!"_

_With a cry, the man fell to his knees while the Dark Lord laughed hysterically. He didn't know the fool, but he enjoyed the entertainment._

_He relented a few times in order to coo at the wizard who was foolish enough to approach him._

_"You dare?"_

_He returned to his torture, smiling fondly to himself at the memories it drudged up._

_"You would believe yourself so important as to seek an audience with Lord Voldemort, without seeking the proper channels?"_

_The pain continued with the Dark Lord varying the levels of strength so he could ask rhetorical questions every now and then._

_In a moment of lightness however, he made out the words, "I'm the Potter's Secret Keeper!"_

_The torture ended post haste._

_That evening, Lord Voldemort entered the home of the Potters, located in Godric's Hollow, and ordered James Potter to stand down. He was killed upon refusal. The fool._

_Lily Potter had been different. Severus had garnered his favor and he was willing to allow her to live, should she step aside. It was his faithful's request after all. But no, the woman argued with him. He even gave her three chances to step aside, but she refused his mercy._

_She was disposed of easily._

_He briefly - all too briefly - wondered why she never raised her wand to him. A wand she didn't even have on her person._

_Once she was out of the way, he had eyes only for the child. The one prophesied to vanquish him._

_The shade of green in those eyes was much like his mother before him. Except they seemed a little brighter and little too all-knowing in his opinion. Still, he raised his wand, the killing curse on his lips._

_The spell hit true, however, there was a problem._

_It rebounded._

_The Spirit of Lily Evans hovered behind the now bleeding child, even as his own curse was thrown back at him. He was struck in the middle and his body exploded upon contact._

_His Spirit was left behind, forced into little more than a wraith-like form._

_All he remembered, was the sight of those green eyes - now glowing as bright at the killing curse - rushing toward him, before all went dark._

_ _

 

_Voldemort wasn't one to lead his followers on, but he was still a man with needs and obviously they must be fulfilled. And Bellatrix was indeed good at what she did._

_Engaged or not didn't matter to him._

_Her mouth was all that was important, so long as he properly kept it busy._

_ _

 

_Harry was running again._

_He was always running._

_But Dudley and Piers were chasing him, though how Dudley managed to keep up was a mystery._

_He rounded the corner, jumping over the rubbish bin in his way. There was a rush of air and his ears popped suddenly. He opened his eyes to find himself standing on the school roof._

_But how did he get here?_

_The fire services had to get him down and he was suspended for five days. which led to him leaving the school for being home-schooled. Then, when he was faced with the angered looks of his aunt and uncle, he knew he wouldn't be eating for at least a week._

_Why did his life have to be so terrible?_

_What did he do to deserve this?_

_Dudley smirked in his direction, "Freak."_

_He wasn't a freak._

_He didn't do anything._

_Right?_

_ _

 

_Tom glared at the two boys trying to bully him. He hated the orphanage and within said orphanage, he hated these two more than anything._

_Billy Stubbs and Dennis Bishop. The two were fat, thick, and useless in Tom's eyes. It seemed that Billy needed to learn a lesson rather quickly. And Dennis, well, Tom had something special in mind for he and little Amy Benson._

_With great concentration, Tom was able to make Billy trip over his laces, falling to the ground in a heap, face slamming into a conveniently placed rock. Dennis backed away, aware that strange things happened around Tom. Things that couldn't be explained. Like how they'd been chasing him just fine a moment prior but now, Billy's shoelaces were tied together and they hadn't been before._

_"Freak!" the boy hissed, running away to no doubt fetch the matron._

_Tom glared down at Billy, who was looking up at him in obvious worry._

_He wasn't the freak._

_They were._

_Billy had a rabbit, didn't he?_

_Tom smirked._

_Not for much longer._

_ _

 

_Harry stared up at the steps above his cupboard. Spiders crawled out from little cracks._

_He hadn't eaten in four days._

_His stomach was making noises._

_He sighed sadly. If only there was some distant relation who could come to take him away._

_ _

 

_Tom glared at the priest who was too busy reading from a Bible to pay attention to him. Of course the fool had been brought in to 'rid him of the devil', not that anything was happening._

_The man raised the cross in his right hand and pressed it to Tom's brow, yelling words in what he assumed was Latin. They sounded familiar at least._

_Tom sat, bound to his wooden chair, still glaring, even as Holy Water was dumped over his head. He was soaked._

_"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord's face shine upon you. And shall you now and forever be, a servant of the Lord! In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!"_

_"Amen!" chimed Mrs. Cole and her husband. Fat load of help their prayers did. They never attended mass. If anything, the priest's God wouldn't hear them._

_"May the Lord be with you."_

_"And also with you," The Cole's rejoined the memorized words._

_"Let us pray," the priest hummed._

_Tom's eyes rolled skyward the old woman and her husband joined in._

_"Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. AMEN!"_

_The priest looked at Tom over the rim of his spectacles and - unable to hold himself back - Tom let out a string of hisses, pretending that he was talking to the snakes around the orphanage._

_The man jumped back in fright, holding out the cross as if it would protect him. Mrs. Cole and her husband took a large step away from him._

_Needless to say, his little humorous act caught him in the church for three endless days as priest after priest tried to exorcise him._

_How he hated these people._

_They'd suffer eventually._

_ _

 

_Harry sniffled a bit. It was his birthday and once again, he didn't get anything. He wanted at least a pillow, but he wasn't even allowed that much._

_He got a coat hanger… for a coat he didn't even have!_

_And Dudley paraded around the house all day, making comments about it._

_His aunt and uncle didn't nothing stop him from pushing Harry into the refrigerator, or from him locking Harry out of the house._

_Harry sat under the tree in the backyard and wiped his nose on his sleeve._

_He hated it here._

_He just wanted a home of his own._

_ _

 

_Honestly, isn't wasn't as bad as they were making it out to be. So he managed to teleport himself as well as Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop into the cave while the orphanage was on holiday and then murdered a cat in front of them. It wasn't like the cat meant anything to anyone. And so what if he managed to make it so that neither could say anything to anyone about it, but would remember it every time they saw his face? It wasn't like he cared._

_They deserved it._

_They shouldn't have angered him._

_ _

 

_There was no way Harry could sneak food and not get caught. Aunt Petunia was anal retentive over counting all the food. She'd notice if anything went missing._

_Harry wiped his arm across his brow. It was hot outside. Maybe he could use the hose and she wouldn't know._

_ _

 

_Tom simply smiled at the other children._

_They thought it was hilarious to throw his food on the floor, did they?_

_Well, they wouldn't be eating anything for a while._

_In the dark of the night, Tom used whatever supernatural force that he controlled to teleport the three boys into the basement. Since Mr. Cole only went in there on Saturdays, he had at least four days before they were found. No one would hear them until then._

_They shouldn't have messed with him._

_They deserved worse._

_But if Tom did anything else, it could possibly point to him._

_Though he did find a nice book in the leader's room._

_He wouldn't be getting it back of course._

_Tom smirked as he read his new spoil._

_Such dark poetry suited his interests._

_ _

 

_Piers was on again and off again, a bad guy. Sometimes, when Dudley wasn't around, he'd taunt Harry less. But Piers had thought Harry was a girl, because of how Petunia made him dress and act._

_So when Dudley was around, he would shove the hose down Harry's throat and very nearly drown him. But when they were alone, he tended to… touch Harry too much. He even demanded kisses sometimes!_

_And this was one of those times._

_And if he didn't want trouble, Harry had to play along._

_"You don't really hate me, right Harry?" Piers asked, creepy smile in place._

_"No," Harry answered softly. His heart was pounding though._

_Piers ran a hand through Harry's long hair. "You don't want Big D to bother you today, right?"_

_"No, Piers," Harry answered quickly._

_"If you give me a kiss, I'll distract him for you."_

_Harry cringed internally. Not because Piers was a boy, but more that he wasn't really Harry's cup of tea. Harry actually really didn't like Piers. Still, he didn't want to nearly drown because of the hose._

_With great reluctance, Harry lifted on his tiptoes and placed a small kiss on Piers' lips._

_Piers smiled like an idiot and winked, making Harry's stomach churn._

_"See you later, Harry."_

_Harry wiped his mouth as soon as Piers was gone._

_He hated doing that._

_ _

 

Both Harry Potter and Tom Riddle were sprawled out on the floor of the Flamel's best ritual room as the various memories assaulted them.

Their magics in the room swelled and waned. Harry's Avada green curled around Tom's emerald green, comforting him.

Harry rolled around, trying to make the memories of his and Tom's sad childhoods go away.

Tom however, was able to lay almost perfectly still, given away only by the sweat on his brow and the grimace on his face.

The two shot upward with a simultaneous gasp, their eyes open.

Harry choked, hand clutched to his chest, where his heart beat loudly.

Tom was sitting up already, glaring at the floor even as his breathing came in loud wheezes.

He then looked to Harry, his forest like eyes shining with a dangerous light. Harry wasn't given a chance. Tom had drawn him in with a hand fisted in his hair.

Their mouths slammed together, with Tom dominating every movement, every touch between them. Harry didn't know what had brought it on, but he could feel that Tom was angry. His magic was roiling.

"He dared?" Tom hissed, pulling away briefly before pulling Harry back in.

Tom's tongue thrust into Harry's mouth, swiping against everything within. Harry was flushed, trying to breath and feel all at once. And Tom's insistent snogging was in the way of that.

"He dared make such demands of you? Taking your lips that are not meant for any besides myself?"

Tom had seen that memory! Not good.

Harry grabbed into Tom's arm, trying to push him away. The other wizard was like a rock. With little regret, Harry bit down on his tongue. Tom pulled away with a hissed expletive.

"Now that I have your attention," Harry started with a glare. "I'd like to inform you that I am my own person. However, if you supposedly possess me, it is only fair that I possess you. Yes, I saw that memory between Voldy and Bellatrix."

"That wasn't  _me_!" Tom insisted with a pout.

"So? You have that soul piece now. And in any case, you will only be snogging me in the future, just so you know."

Tom's mouth dropped a bit, before he smirked. "Indeed."

"Good," Harry said firmly. "Are we done?"

Tom released Harry fully, standing up quickly and helping his - boyfriend? - to his feet. "I believe so. You no longer feel the same."

Harry's stomach dropped. "I can't speak Parseltongue anymore?"

§ _ **I don't know, can you?**_ § Tom asked.

Harry's elation led him to throwing his arms around Tom's shoulders in his excitement. He smiled. § _ **I understand you still!**_ §

"The soul piece must have been with you for so long that it is literally a part of you now, even with it gone."

Harry was relieved, because he liked sharing a language with Tom.

Tom looked down and then fixed Harry with a soul searching gaze. "You were the green, weren't you? You saved me from the dark."

Harry winked, "I felt your distress and decided to help. It was nothing really."

If only Harry knew how much it meant to Tom.

If only.

 

Their time at the Flamel residence was informative.

Harry noticed right off that Tom's wandless and non-verbal magic was a lot stronger and that he was able to do more spells now.

Tom also became slightly clingy over time and Harry didn't know the reason behind it but he liked it. He liked cuddling and now that Tom was welcoming daily cuddles, he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity. Tom was a warm and made him feel safe. He liked that feeling.

When he wasn't with Tom or Hermione, he was with Nicolas, in his lab. The man was a genius and standing next to him made Harry feel inadequate. Just some urchin hoping to get even a small piece of food by standing next to the baker.

There was so much to learn and not enough time! That was, until they were introduced to Time-Turners. The three guests made use of them frequently. Basically, they stayed in France for two and a half weeks, not just ten days.

And by the time they returned to England, their brains were filled to the brim.

* * *

**A/N: Another one bites the dust!**

**-I'm not Catholic. I am a Christian. However, my ex-step-mother attended a Lutheran Church for many years and I had to go every other week. By the 4th week, I memorized the process of mass. And it never changed, not even for communion. Everything above, in the memory of Tom being exorcised, is what I learn from that church. I don't know what straight Catholic churches do, so I'm going with what I know from experience. Don't get offended.**

**-Yes, Harry was the one to save Tom in the last chapter.**

**How was it? Let me know.**

**Check out my other HP/LV/TMR fics.**

**See ya! :D**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I'm not Catholic. I am a Christian. However, my ex-step-mother attended a Lutheran Church for many years and I had to go every other week. By the 4th week, I memorized the process of mass. And it never changed, not even for communion. Everything above, in the memory of Tom being exorcised, is what I learn from that church. I don't know what straight Catholic churches do, so I'm going with what I know from experience. Don't get offended.
> 
> -Yes, Harry was the one to save Tom in the last chapter.
> 
> -Next chapter will be different. I got an idea and I can't wait to do it!
> 
> How was it? Let me know.
> 
> Check out my other HP/LV/TMR fics.
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Voldy!

**A/N: Hello, people!**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I have no beta.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.**

* * *

Upon their return to England, Harry took Loki to Gringotts, where together, they informed Ragnok of the success of their ritual. The Goblin looked at them both closely.

"You are healthy once again?"

"Yes, Head Ragnok" Tom nodded.

Ragnok snapped his fingers, murmuring something in Gobbledegook. Another Goblin appeared, holding several files in his hands.

"This is Morgok, Slytherin Account Manager."

Tom grasped Harry's hand tightly, "I'd like it for Hadrian to stay with us, if that's alright?"

The new Goblin simply stared at their linked hands, before giving a shrug. "It's on your head, not mine."

Tom gave a firm nod.

"Then let us continue. Your former self, never returned to take up his Lordship. Now that you exist, both you and he are considered Heir Apparents for the Lordship of the Slytherin Line."

"Do I have to defeat him in a duel as per the usual rules of Heir Apparents?" Tom asked.

"Not in this case. As you both share the same blood, we can perform a ritual of sorts to formally adopt you as your own son. By doing so you can make yourself the lone Heir and then take up Lordship."

Harry leaned forward, "And how much would this adoption ritual cost?"

Goblins always had a price for everything. It would be foolish to assume that they weren't going to charge Tom for whatever they had in mind.

Morgok gave a toothy smirk, his fangs showing ominously. "Just a small fee of one thousand Galleons."

Harry considered the Goblin for a moment. One thousand Galleons wasn't much, compared to what Harry had in his many vaults. But if there wasn't much left in the Slytherin vaults, then it would seem like a lot.

"I'll pay for that," decided Harry with a sure nod.

The smirk disappeared, but the Goblin didn't comment, he simply looked to Ragnok who was already writing the transaction down on the parchment before him.

"It has been done, Heir Potter-Black."

"Thank you, Ragnok."

Morgok was looking at the file on top of his large pile. "Heir Apparent Slytherin, this ritual will act as a blood adoption. It will show Tom Marvolo Riddle as being your father. You will need to pour your blood and magic into the potion. The potion is a royal blue, but will turn crimson upon contact with your blood, and then byzantium purple with the addition of your magic."

Morgok looked up once to make sure that Tom understood, before continuing on.

"Now, there are nine wizarding families that suffered a tragedy of being unable to sire more children, within the last century. These families have essentially died away. Before the deaths of the lines, the Lord or Lady, drew a vial of blood and gave it to Gringotts in secret with the strictest confidence that we would use them appropriately to give the families another heir who was worthy of their name, thus bringing all of their inactive vaults back into commission.

As you are of the Slytherin Line, you qualify for five of these families. Only two of them would possibly help your situation. As you are to be twenty soon, you would need a family that was supposedly ended around eighteen to nineteen years ago, and two of these families were.

You have the choice of Selwyn, or Moria. Both had young sons before being destroyed at the beginning of the War of Voldemort."

"'Sons'?" Harry repeated in confusion.

"Wizards can bear."

"Oh. Didn't know that. Wow."

"Selwyn, if you please. They were a well known Slytherin family in my day," Tom decided.

"Then come with me, Heir Apparent Slytherin. This ritual will take time. Could be a few minutes, a few hours, or even days. But it will be done."

Tom sent Harry a small smile. "You should go home."

"Are you going to come back or..?"

"Most likely no. I'll send you an owl."

"Bye, Tom."

The older teen affectionately brushed his fingers against Harry's face, before turning and following the Goblin from the room.

Harry looked to Ragnok, "Goblins have answers for everything, don't they?"

The Head of Gringotts smirked. "But of course."

 

Harry was up the wall as he regaled Sirius with all that he and Hermione got to learn while in France.

His replacement Loki, whom he bought in Diagon Alley before meeting up with Sirius in the Leaky Cauldron, listened intently.

Sirius understood nothing he said, which hadn't shocked him in the least. But he was happy that Sirius was proud of him and that he was at least happy that Harry got to have to much fun with his best friend.

"I've got a surprise for you, pup!"

Harry, who was sipping tea, tilted his head to convey his question.

"The Daily Prophet holds little contests sometimes. They held two this past month. The Weasley Family won the Draw for seven hundred Galleons. They'll be going to Egypt to visit their eldest son, William.

There was another draw."

Sirius held the folded paper up and smirked. "The Daily Prophet is working with Les Actualités which is the major magical French newspaper, to sponsor a sort of exchange program between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. Thirty students from both schools are recommended and given the opportunity to spend the next school year in the opposing school."

"Do they do this often?" Harry asked, liking the idea.

"About once a decade."

"Cool."

"So, the way this goes is people send in their recommendations for the Hogwarts students they think is most deserving of gaining this privilege. The more someone's name is recommended, the higher the chance they have of being in the grouping. The name is written on a piece of parchment and they gather the names into different jars until it's time to announce the winners, which is then announced over the British and French Wizarding Wireless Networks, for everyone to hear.

People from both magical communities have sent in thousands of recommendations - you can send as many as you want to make it more interesting - and the names were given last night. Here's the list in the Prophet this morning."

He handed over the paper and Harry looked it over with interest.

**AND THE NAMES OF OUR 30 RECIPIENTS ARE:**

**HADRIAN JAMESON EVANS POTTER- 4,202 votes.**

**PERCIVAL IGNATIUS WEASLEY- 2,451 votes.**

**HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER- 2,439 votes.**

**DAPHNE MILLICENT GREENGRASS- 704 votes.**

**CEDRIC AMOS DIGGORY- 702 votes.**

**BLAISE AIDEN ZABINI- 645 votes.**

**SUSAN AMELIA BONES- 644 votes.**

**AMYCUS JEAN WHITBY- 621 votes.**

**ROGER JAMES DAVIES- 620 votes.**

**SILVIA ANNE FAWCETT- 567 votes.**

**NANETTE CELESTE DESFORD- 514 votes.**

**MORAG MAE MACDOUGAL- 497 votes.**

**PADMA LAVANYA PATIL- 453 votes.**

**ADELAIDE MARA ZAFFRON- 423 votes.**

**PENELOPE BEATRICE CLEARWATER- 410 votes.**

**PARVATI GITA PATIL- 381 votes.**

**HORTENSE HUMPHREY HIGGS- 331 votes.**

**AGATHA MERIDA BARNES- 310 votes.**

**CHASTITY CLAIRE BABCOCK- 301 votes.**

**ISABELLA MARIE SWANSON- 287 votes.**

**EDMUND LEON BAUDELAIRE- 255 votes.**

**KURURUGI SUZAKU- 219 votes.**

**JOHN JAMES SMITH- 200 votes.**

**CHRISTOPHER MCFARLEN- 167 votes.**

**JUSTIN FINCH-FLETCHLEY- 124 votes.**

**WILLIAM SHERLOCK SCOTT HOLMES- 99 votes.**

**ORORO KOMOS WAKANDAS- 75 votes.**

**ALEJANDRO LUIS IGLESIAS- 56 votes.**

**BENEDICT HAMISH FREEMAN- 44 votes.**

**DRACONIS LUCIUS MALFOY- 2 votes.**

**CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!**

**If you will not be participating in the exchange, please owl your  
withdrawal to the Daily Prophet's Main Office in Diagon Alley.**

Harry looked up and blinked. "I'm going to France?"

"If you want to!"

"Sure! I'm shocked at the number of Slytherins on this list."

Seven Slytherins out of thirty people. Impressive.

"And Hermione gets to come too! I have to send her an owl! Thanks, Sirius!"

 

Harry made sure to send letters to Hermione and Nick, so they both knew what was going on.

A day later, he got a letter from Tom.

_**Dear Harry,** _

_**I have been adopted by myself and a young man by the name of Maurice Selwyn. I am now** _   
_**Corvinus Thomas Riddle-Selwyn. Lord Slytherin, Lord Gaunt, Lord Selwyn. The ritual** _   
_**wasn't nearly as painful as the one we partook of in France. That was the worst experience of my life.** _

_**Onto other matters, I am currently residing in the very well closed off home of Salazar** _   
_**Slytherin. It is a large castle and that is all I can tell you until you consent to marrying me.** _   
_**As my betrothed you would be allowed to know of the residence's location. Until then,** _   
_**I think telling you that it's almost as grand as Hogwarts is, will suffice.** _

_**I looked at the Daily Prophet this morning. Congratulations on getting to go back to France.** _   
_**I've always wanted to go to Beauxbatons and learn their secrets. The French are rather careful** _   
_**with all knowledge of their magical school, so this is a treat for you. Learn all you can, I don't** _   
_**care how you do it, just do it.** _

_**You will be pleased to learn that as Lord Slytherin, I have the power to banish and disown** _   
_**people from the family. Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort, has broken not only sacred** _   
_**laws of magic, but also Salazar Slytherin's own requirements for his Line.** _   
_**Being a Dark Lord immediately goes against three of these rules.** _

_**I have therefore disowned Lord Voldemort and stripped him of his Slytherin heritage.** _   
_**Should we ever see him again, he will be considerably weaker and we should be able to destroy** _   
_**him permanently.** _

_**Please send your reply with Asmodeus, he needs to work off the energy.** _

_**Tom.** _

Voldemort was basically no threat. He was done. Finished. Maybe they could find him and off him quickly in order to save time.

Tom was a genius!

 

Hermione was understandably excited when she received the news. Her parents gave the permission and she sent in her acceptance to the Daily Prophet immediately.

Harry was looking forward to this trip and went to the main office in person to get his list of supplies that was needed for the upcoming Beauxbatons school year.

As he went through his shopping, he thought about the letter he'd gotten from Nick.

_**Harry,** _

_**I'm not at all shocked that you won the contest. It has always involved the most favored  
among the students and are you really surprised that your name came out over four thousand times? ** _

_**I frequently teach a class at Beauxbatons. As an Alumni of the school, they call upon me to** _   
_**give lectures to their Alchemy Classes. Nelly is sometimes called into to help with Potions and** _   
_**Arithmancy. You and your friend Hermione will be seeing a lot of the two of us in the coming year. Perhaps** _   
_**we shall take tea when we can.** _

_**Study those books we gave and make sure you treat them with care. They are almost as old as me!** _

_**Looking forward to seeing you once more,** _

_**Nicolas Flamel.** _

It was like everything in his life was coming together.

Nothing could ruin this for him.

The window beside him exploded suddenly.

He really shouldn't have thought so soon.

Harry dove to the side as he withdrew his wand. People ran from the shop, screaming. Harry however, was facing the threat.

It was a man. Short, rather obese, and balding.

What gave him away though, was the red eyes.

Voldemort.

"Potter!" the man wheezed, voice overlapping with another, sounding raspy.

"Voldy," Harry greeted, before throwing a powerful severing charm in his direction.

The spell was quickly diverted with the use of the man's wand. Harry wasn't about to give in though. He began firing off curses and charms that he knew thanks to Tom's help.

Bombarda Maxima. Reducto. Incendio. Confringo. Conjunctivitis. Flipendo Maxima. Expulso Tria. Laryngitis. Densaugeo. Engorgio Skullus.

Only three of the spells hit. Conjunctivitis, Flipendo, and Densaugeo.

Unable to see, being knocked back, and then having front teeth so large he couldn't speak, gave Harry the upper hand.

"Reducto!"

The man's body, whoever it was, exploded in a shower of sparks.

The very last piece of Lord Voldemort, the only thing left to destroy, was left behind.

The amorphous form that Harry was too used to seeing, accompanied by the bright red eyes of the monster, were not even ten feet from him.

A red light shot forth from the dark figure. Harry dodged just barely, but felt his plait disappear. His hair had been cut!

That bastard!

Harry rolled to his feet.

The green light coming at him was diverted by a large piece of metal. He glanced over only for a second, to see none other than Tom.

"Ah, yes. My supposed son," Voldemort hissed.

Tom simply raised his wand and cast the Fiendfyre curse the came time Harry's cast Incendio Tria. The flames shooting from Tom's wand formed a large serpent that turned blue once Harry's spell joined it. The snake gave a hiss and hot forth, slamming into Voldemort, making him howl in pain.

The darkness known as Lord Voldemort was swallowed up by the flames, an unearthly scream rent the air until there was nothing left.

Harry could only stare at the place where his prophesied nemesis had formerly been. Voldemort was gone. For good.

"I thought Fiendfyre was illegal," he couldn't help but comment.

"Borderline. If used by a competent practitioner for a serious and helpful purpose, it can be overlooked. I think helping the Boy-Who-Lived vanquish the Dark Lord, is a good purpose."

"You and your loopholes," Avada eyes rolled. "Thank you for saving me Tom."

"You saved me, Harry. It's literally the least I could do."

Their serene moment of comfort was ruined by the mob of people and reporters, who converged on them from out of nowhere.

Harry realized what good publicity this was going to give Tom. He wasn't a fool. Not only would saving Harry be a benefit, but Tom had always planned on helping Harry vanquish Voldemort.

Rita Skeeter, the most famous journalist from the Daily Prophet, was up front, catching their attention quickly. She asked for an interview with them and a photograph. Tom agreed on their behalf, so long as she used a Dicto-Quill.

The woman, who was dressed in an acid green pantsuit, nodded and immediately set to asking questions. Who they were, what they had been doing prior to the fiasco, how did they know each other.

In the end, the only thing that saddened Harry was the lost of most of his hair. It had been a nice length, but now it was growing again and it had already gone past its former length. The longer the hair, the more work he had to do to maintain it.

Tom said that he liked it though, so maybe it wasn't all that bad.

 

Harry let the Daily Prophet the next morning, explain everything that happened. Sirius was understandably worried and immediately took him to St. Mungo's to make sure that there weren't any negative effects from the former evening.

The paper, which displayed a lovely picture of Harry and Tom on the front page, was headlined with a shocking title that drew all eyes.

** THE DARK LORD VOLDEMORT DESTROYED! HARRY POTTER AND LORD SLYTHERIN  
JOIN FORCES TO STOP THE GREATEST EVIL KNOWN TO THE EUROPEAN WIZARDING WORLD!  **

_**Harry Potter, age thirteen, had been shopping for his future year at Beauxbatons -** _   
_**thanks to being one of the Daily Prophet winners - when he was attacked by a threatening** _   
_**wizard. As witches and wizards fled the scene in worry, our young Savior simply drew his wand** _   
_**and faced his foe with a stiff upper lip.** _

__**The man, was being controlled by the Dark Lord Voldemort. His eyes the very same shade of  
red that has haunted many a survivor from the War of Voldemort. His wand casting  
the most vile of all curses. The Killing Curse!**

__**The Boy-Who-Conquered, defended himself and fought back as bravely as he could. Spells  
in his repertoire including the blasting curse, the severing charm, the reductor  
curse, and even the knockback jinx. All managing to hit his enemy!**

__**For those who do not know of possession, the moment a person's body is released from dark  
possession, they die, having become dependent on the spirit housed within. Harry Potter  
destroyed the body of the possessed man, releasing the Dark Lord from his shell.**

__**Our Savior managed to save himself from an oncoming curse and the arrival of Lord  
Slytherin who diverted the cast Killing Curse, saving Mr. Potter, gave him the upper hand. Together,  
the two vanquished the remains of the Dark Lord.**

_**Now dear readers, you may ask how this was done.** _

__**With a powerful Fiendfyre that he was able to control, aided by a stronger Incendio Tria  
from Mr. Potter, Lord Slytherin forced his flaming serpent to swallow the Dark  
Lord and burn him from existence.(photograph… see Page 2A)**

_**It was revealed by Nicolas Flamel many months ago, that the Dark Lord had dabbled in some** _   
_**of the most foul, despicable magic known to wizardkind. In his desperation for immortality,** _   
_**Voldemort created what are known as Horcruxes, splitting his soul with the aid of a murder** _   
_**and ritual, and encasing it into a chosen object. Harry Potter and Lord Slytherin revealed** _   
_**that the Dark Lord had managed to create six Horcruxes, the Boy-Who-Lived being one of them!** _

_**The infamous scar that was the only mark left behind after that night in Godric's Hollow** _   
_**all those years ago, housed a piece of Lord Voldemort's soul, which tried to actively harm our** _   
_**Savior in order to take over his body! But with the help of Lord Slytherin and none other than** _   
_**Nicolas Flamel, the three managed to hunt down the Horcruxes and destroy each of them,** _   
_**including the one inside Mr. Potter, without having him come to harm.** _

_**In addition to these recent events, I am pleased to inform you all of Lord Slytherin's identity.** _   
_**A close friend of Harry Potter's for several years, Lord Slytherin, Corvinus Thomas Riddle-Selwyn,** _   
_**is the son of the former Dark Lord and Corvinus Selwyn of the Selwyn House! Yes, ladies and** _   
_**gentlemen, the Most Ancient and Noble House of Selwyn lives on.** _

_**Through much tragedy in the war, the House of Selwyn was thought to have been murdered when** _   
_**they chose to not aid Voldemort in his up and coming takeover. The Dark Lord, unhappy with their** _   
_**noncompliance, killed all but the Heir and committed dastardly acts upon the young teenager. Lord** _   
_**Slytherin was the result.** _

_**Through a great amount of fortune, one of the Dark Lord's followers began to feel guilty for the** _   
_**cause they fought for and took the five year old from the Dark Lord's home, placing him in a Muggle** _   
_**Orphanage and hiding all traces of him from even Ministerial view. He then began his own hunt for** _   
_**his former master's Horcruxes and his treachery was discovered. He was killed by Lord Voldemort** _   
_**in 1979, only a year after liberating the Slytherin Heir from the Dark Lord. Regulus Black was the** _   
_**brave soul who sacrificed his life to see to the end of the Dark Lord. His acts will be remembered. May** _   
_**his soul find peace.** _

_**Lord Slytherin, who is also Lord Gaunt and Lord Selwyn, used his power as the Slytherin Lord** _   
_**and banished Voldemort from the Slytherin family, stripping him of his family magics** _   
_**and weakening him. This, as well as the Dark Lord's destroyed Horcruxes, allowed for an easy** _   
_**defeat of the Dark Wizard.** _

_**Harry Potter and Lord Slytherin are grateful that there is no possibility of the Dark  
Lord's return and hope for many happy and peaceful years to come. ** _

_**Also, if this reporter may be so bold, I think I see a new match in the future, dear readers.  
Look out for Lord Slytherin and Heir Potter-Black to become a couple! ** _

_**As always, you read it here first!** _

_**Rita Skeeter, special correspondent of the Daily Prophet.** _

* * *

**A/N: Another one is done!**

**How was it? Let me know.**

**See ya! :D**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -If you recognize some names that aren't part of the HP universe, sorry. I lost all originality when I ran out of familiar people. So yes, Twilight, Marvel, Sherlock, The Nanny, and other references.
> 
> How was it? Let me know!
> 
> Check out my other HP/LV/TMR fics!

**Author's Note:**

> How was it?


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